


A Champion, A Rival

by Light679



Series: Warriors of Galar [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Alcohol, Anxiety, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Jealousy, Night Terrors, Self-Doubt, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:20:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 64,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Light679/pseuds/Light679
Summary: A familiar face returns to Galar, causing some trouble in the region as Raihan, Leon and Light work to deal with the conflicting emotions within them.Raihan had been expecting an easy match against Challenger Light. He hadn't expected the feelings of self doubt and anxiety that had crept up as a result. What he hadn't expected even more was to fall in love with her. Can Raihan open up enough to let her in?Leon, on the other hand, had known there was something special about the region's new Champion from the day he met her. She was his friend, and a rival who pushed him to heights he'd never been pushed to. But, was it right for him to love someone who'd already been claimed by his best friend?Light was a lovable, strong champion, but she was also a magnet for any trouble that struck the Galar region. This time, she'll have even more people in her corner as she rushes in headfirst to take on the dangers that await.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Reader, Kibana | Raihan/Reader
Series: Warriors of Galar [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121936
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	1. A Champion Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> ***Hop and Light have been aged up to 21 years old, and are NOT underage in this story. I imagine them to be about five years behind Leon, putting him at the age of 25-26 years old. 
> 
> This story takes place after the main events of the story, and mostly follows canon, with a few added details to round out the story. 
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter, more of an introduction to what's running through Raihan's mind before the Galarian Stars Tournament

For Raihan, his feelings had been a slow burn. At first, he’d resented Light for beating him not once, but twice. The second time had robbed him of his chance to challenge Leon in the Championship match. He now had yet another rival, another Champion to constantly throw his team against. At least now he could challenge Leon without it being some huge, televised annual event, and maybe he and his best friend could finally be proper rivals. 

Still, as Light, along with Piers, Hop and Sonia worked to help the Dynamaxed Pokemon that had been caused by Swordbert and Shielbert, Raihan couldn’t help but warm up slightly to the trainer as he came to her aid in Hammerlocke. 

Of course, he also viewed it as another opportunity to study the way she worked with her Pokemon, learning her style so that he could work to combat it. He noticed, unlike him and Lee, Light didn’t use any one Pokemon on her team as her ace, she used each Pokemon as an equal partner. That frustrated him slightly, as it made her harder to predict. She may not have had a surefire way that she liked to win each battle, but that also meant it was harder to figure out what her next move would be so that Raihan could combat it with his own. It was smart, albeit infuriating to him.

Raihan continued to think about her and her team as he trained, working to train his team in a way that would combat her skilled Pokemon. Another problem that infuriated him to no end was that she had more than a standard team full of strong Pokemon. In fact, it was impossible to predict which six Pokemon she’d bring with her to any one match, although he could take a guess at what she would have. Like him, she appeared to occasionally favor dragon type, having at least one in her party at all times. Which one she carried varied. A fire-type and fighting type were also a fairly common go-to for her. The only thing the girl didn’t have a strong offense against was water-types. Unfortunately for Raihan, there weren’t too many water-type dragons, and certainly none that he was particularly interested in working with currently. Despite this, he worked to train his dragons with other psychic and water-type Pokemon, trying to learn some moves that her team would be vulnerable to.

Beating her team became an obsession for the dragon trainer, and an annoyance whenever she crossed his mind. Why should he be hung up thinking about a rival this much? Surely he hadn’t thought about Leon to this capacity, had he? 

“Rai, you look like a mess, are you okay?” Leon asked, concerned for his friend as they met for lunch. 

He was right, Raihan did look like shit. He’d been training nonstop the last few weeks that Light had been on a trip to the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra, even forgoing some sleep to work with his team. Even Duradulon was starting to get pissy with him. “Piss off, mate,” Raihan grumbled, picking at his half-eaten sandwich. “Just been doing a lot of extra training is all.” Which reminded Raihan to post the cool pictures he’d snapped with his Pokemon during their training session earlier that day. 

Leon frowned. “Is this about Light?” he asked, and Raihan cursed to himself silently. Leon was nothing if not perceptive, and a touch too caring, which sometimes grated on Raihan’s nerves. Though he’d never say as much to his best friend. 

“So what if it is?”

Leon smiled. “Actually, that’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about today. I’ve been working with my staff in Wyndon to get an idea of mine running off the ground. You know how we’ve always pushed each other to get better, training against each other?”

“Yeah?”

“Well,” the former champion continued, “It got me thinking, what if we did a series of double battles where all of us stronger trainers could pair up together and take on other pairs. So a tournament of double battles, but this time us rivals could hype each other up. I want to see if working with your rivals can also make for some awesome battles here in Galar. We could keep it running all the time, that way Galar doesn’t have to wait until Gym Season to see some awesome matches. And everyone could participated as much or little as they wanted, whatever fits their schedule. I know some of us are busier than others.”

Raihan paused at this. Leon’s idea was actually brilliant. He also loved the idea of being able to take on Light, or even Leon whenever he wanted to. “You’re on mate,” he said excitedly. “Let’s team up to take down Light. And since I’m sure she’ll team up with Hop, you can finally get that match with your brother that you’ve been wanting since you endorsed him. Shame I can’t take on all three of you at the same time. I wouldn’t mind another rematch with your little bro, though I’d rather target you and her.”

Leon pretended to think about Raihan’s offer, jokingly musing about pairing up with the woman to take him down yet again. But Raihan was confident on this one; he knew Leon was itching for a rematch against the newest champion, though maybe not as badly as he did. “Fine,” the purple-haired man agreed begrudgingly. Raihan had his Rotom Phone snap a picture of the two of them to post to social media with the caption: “Look out Galar, the two of us rivals working together is going to be unstoppable!” Naturally, an irritated twitch ran through him when Light liked the post, only fueling him to want to train harder. 

Four days later, Leon called Raihan with a formal invitation, letting him know that the double battle tournament, or the Galarian Stars Tournament as he called it, would be happening tomorrow, and that Raihan should ready a team of three Pokemon he wanted to use for his team. As well as confirming that he would, indeed, still agree to be Raihan’s partner. 

Raihan mused over which Pokemon to pick. Of course, unquestionably his partner Duradulon would be his ace, along with his Flygon who’d kick up its classic sandstorm to throw off his opponents. It was the third Pokemon that he was having trouble deciding on. He let out a few of his options; Torkoal, Goodra, Turtonator and Gigalith in his castle to help him decide. The Pokemon, confused, looked around for a bit, chattering with each other for a moment. 

Goodra, however, instead of turning to the other Pokemon, shuffled over to Raihan and nuzzled him, sensing how worn down he’d been lately. He smiled at the sweet, motherly gesture of the Pokemon, who never failed to cuddle him any time he was down about a loss against Leon. That settled it; Goodra would be his other pick for tomorrow’s tournament, one he could trust completely to work its hardest for him no matter what. He returned the other Pokemon to their balls, petting the Poison-dragon sweetly. He let the Goodra sleep out of its Pokeball with him tonight, curled up comfortably on the edge of his bed as Raihan fell into the best sleep he’d had in a few weeks. He would finally get to have his rematch with Light tomorrow.


	2. Ready, Set, Match!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet Light, my OC version of the Champion, a little bit in this chapter. You'll get to see the points of view from her and Raihan throughout the story from now on!

Raihan woke up early, excited and refreshed for the big day. He fed his team a decent, but not too-filling breakfast to prepare them for the day. Each of them seemed surprised, albeit relieved that they weren’t starting off their day with their usual training regimen, and Raihan realized he may have been pushing his Pokemon a little too hard recently. If he was exhausted, they must have been too. “Sorry guys,” he admitted sheepishly as they ate. Despite how exhausted they’d been as he’d worked with them, his Pokemon persisted, willing to do anything to make him happy. The realization made Raihan a little more emotional than he’d care to let literally anyone in his life know. “I’ll stop working us so hard next time, I promise. We’re going to go out there and give it our all today.” He snapped a picture of his prized team, posting another picture to his social media page. ‘Ready for the big day,’ his caption said ominously, leaving most of Galar anticipating what would come today. As far as Raihan knew, he was the only person Leon had told about what would be happening today. Even Light commented something about wishing she knew what she was walking into today. Raihan frowned, a little concerned that his new rival didn’t know what was happening, and thus might make for an unfair battle, but he also supposed Leon would give the challengers a little time to mentally prepare before throwing them off the deep end. If there was anything Leon didn’t like, it was an unfair advantage, no matter who had it. 

Naturally, when Raihan arrived, Light was already on the pitch, chatting gleefully with Leon. A slight twinge of annoyance ran through him. Of course, he thought, of course she’d naturally gravitate towards his other rival. How could he talk with her so casually, so friendly, even though she’d obliterated him in battle a few weeks prior? Wasn’t Leon annoyed by how strong she was, how effortlessly she won the battles she faced? The unfiltered glee on his face told Raihan that the former Champion held no ill will, or even a slight negative emotion against the new Champ. 

“Hey Raihan,” Light greeted cheerfully as he joined them, so far the only three on the field. She looked tan, an obvious aftereffect 0f her time spent on the Isle of Armor. Her soft rose gold hair had grown longer, a little more wild since she’d been away from the region’s many hair salons. Even a little messy, it was still a good look for her, not that it mattered to Raihan, of course. “Maybe you can tell me what’s going on here?” she asked, looking up at hime hopefully. 

Raihan shrugged nonchalantly. “Don’t know,” he lied, pretending as if he was just as clueless as she was. She didn’t buy it though, her eyes narrowing at him in suspicion as Leon laughed silently at him from behind her. Her attention was quickly diverted as her best friend and Leon’s younger brother, Hop, walked in. She quickly waved at the two rivals before running off to meet him, recounting her trip to him excitedly and listening to his stories about his studies with Professor Sonia. 

“Dude, what has gotten into you?” Leon asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Raihan scowled and backed away from the touch. “You’re acting like Light stepped on your Flygon’s tail and didn’t apologize, did something happen?”

“No,” Raihan grumbled. “I just want to beat her, new rival and all. Usually it’s me who gets to battle you each Gym Season.”

Leon chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance today.” Something behind his best friend’s voice said he knew that wasn’t the whole story, but Raihan was glad he had the restraint to not ask him about it further. Truthfully, Raihan himself didn’t even know why he was so bothered by the woman; he just was. 

The two of them battled through the other pairs, easily working their way through the competition. Raihan was right; Light had teamed up with Hop and the two of them had worked their way through their own competition. This made him grin. Good, he’d have his chance to crush her, which he of course would with Leon as his partner. He was confident of this.

The battle progressed in a way that had the crowd going wild. The two strongest established trainers against the two strongest from this year’s Gym Challenge. This time, though, it would be Hop and Light who lost. It had to be. Double battles were Raihan’s specialty, after all. 

They were down to each of their last Pokemon, Gallade and Inteleon for Hop and Light, Duradulon and Charizard for him and Leon. It was closer than Raihan would have preferred, especially with the two of them at a type disadvantage. Light’s Gallade had proved deadly to his Duradulon before, its fighting moves effective against his steel. 

In the end, Hop and Light won the match, cheering together with their Pokemon. Leon grinned at the intense battle, happy for the trainers he’d endorsed many months ago. Raihan plastered on a fake smile, having Rotom snap a picture of the four of them to commemorate the battle. Eventually, maybe he’d smile a little more on the memory, but for now disappointment filled him, feeling like he’d failed yet again, even with the help of Leon. Of course, he didn’t let anyone see it outwardly as he shook hands with the two slightly younger trainers, congratulating them for the crowd to see. 

Raihan stuck around on the field after the battle, healing his Pokemons’ wounds from the battles they’d faced. He didn’t want to face any of the other trainers in the locker room, so he’d hung back, waiting until he was sure to be empty before he went in. A wide range of emotions he couldn’t quite put a name to filled him, and he didn’t want to be at the risk of anyone seeing him in such a vulnerable state. 

Ten minutes went by, twenty, and then thirty had passed before Raihan decided it would be safe to go into the locker room. When it appeared empty, Raihan slumped down on the bench, holding his hat in his hands. He couldn’t believe he’d lost to Light a third time. Lately, it felt like all Raihan had done was lose; was he even worthy of being a Gym Leader anymore, much less considered the ‘strongest one?’ Tears threatened at his eyes. “Dammit!” he growled, slamming his fist into one of the lockers. 

A surprise yelp sounded from the other room and Raihan heard footsteps come running from the shower area over towards him. It was Light, clothed in just a towel, eyes widened in shock as she readied herself for whatever was happening. Her stance relaxed a bit into a confused expression and she saw it was only an emotionally charged Raihan in the locker room. Her hair wasn’t wet yet, which would explain why Raihan hadn’t heard the running shower as he’d entered the room. “Raihan, is everything okay?” She asked, now eyeing him with concern. 

“I’m fine,” he said, too mentally exhausted to keep up the coldness he’d shown her earlier. Of course the person causing his torment would be the one to show up as he tried to calm himself from the events of today. Raihan sat back down again.

“You don’t look fine,” she retorted. It wasn’t a question. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, now slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t realize there was somebody else in here. I’m usually the last to leave.”

Light frowned. That didn’t exactly answer her question. Usually the dragon trainer kept his demeanor cool, aloof. This was the first time she’d seen him show any emotion besides excitement and cockiness, and both of them were hyper aware of this fact. Raihan eyed up her form, covered only by one of the thin locker room towels. A blush formed on her cheeks as she became aware of how little the towel actually covered, and Raihan blushed at the realization that he had, in fact been staring. 

He’d never denied, at least, the fact that Light was quite beautiful. Before she’d beaten him in the Gym Challenge, Raihan had taken to flirting with her, as he did with most of the beautiful women he encountered. The flirting started to seem a little inappropriate when he realized what a serious competitor she’d be, and that he’d probably have to face her again before he   
challenged Leon, or so he’d thought. As much of a flirt as he was, Raihan made a point not to put the woman in an awkward position before they would face again, especially for flirting that usually meant so little to him. Now, seeing her so scantily clad, he remembered that initial attraction. At another time and place, he’d probably make a move once again. Today, however, he really wasn’t feeling in the mood to flirt. 

“I know I’m no Leon,” she said hesitantly, coming to sit down on the bench next to him, “but I’d be happy to lend and ear if you need it.”

This made Raihan laugh dryly. She was just about the one person he couldn’t talk about his problems with. Yet the emotions running through him made him vulnerable to the pink-haired woman, so he couldn’t help but share some of the burden with her. “I keep losing. To you, to Leon, to everyone. How can I call myself the strongest Gym Leader in all of Galar if I can’t seem to beat a single trainer?”

Light looked at him thoughtfully, understanding the pain that went through him. She also understood that she was part of the problem, one of the trainers contributing to that pain. “Raihan…” she started carefully. “You’re being too hard on yourself. You constantly fight strong trainers. The trainers you fight have also beaten all of the other gym leaders. They’re serious contenders to fight Leon- er, the Champion.” She corrected quickly, still not used to the fact that she was the one that trainers would now be seeking to battle. “You’re the last trial they face because of your strength. You were definitely the hardest trainer I faced in my challenge. Listen, anyone would be feeling the same way you are right now. The reason you’re Galar’s strongest gym leader, and the last leader the challengers face is because you don’t let this get to you, at least not as much as others would be in your position.”

That made Raihan pause. There was some merit to what she was saying, not many Gym Challengers did typically make it past his trial. This year had been an exception to that, the strongest challengers Raihan had seen since he’d taken the position at the Gym. Light was the first trainer who’d surpassed him in the Championship Tournament to face Leon in quite some time. He sighed, some of the sting from losing alleviated, although it was still hard to look her in the eyes. “Thanks Light,” he said softly, patting her shoulder. “I, uh, I’ll leave you to your shower,” he added quickly, grabbing at his things to begin his hasty exit. She smiled with a wave as he left the locker room. 

As Light showered, she thought of the way his Cerulean eyes had looked into hers, vulnerable for the first time since she’d met him. She smiled, happy to be making progress on a possible new budding friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Raihan, I'd always imagined he took his losing streak, and losing to a new challenger pretty hard. Being the last Gym Leader, he always fights the toughest competitors, the ones most likely to make it to the Championship Cup. 
> 
> Anyway, see you next chapter :3


	3. A Cold Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit on the shorter side, but a little fluffy flirting/arguing between our two trainers before we starting getting into the real stuff

A few weeks went by, both Light and Raihan participating frequently in the Galarian Stars Tournament. Raihan’s confidence had returned slightly since their talk, and also after winning most of his battles. He still hadn’t won any of his matches against Light, but that bothered him less than it had before their talk. 

Light herself was becoming quite popular as a competitor in the tournament herself. She took turns battling with many of the other Gym Leaders over the past few weeks, everyone interested in battling with the woman who had yet to lose a match in the tourney. He’d even seen Leon eyeing her up as a partner, which annoyed Raihan for some reason he couldn’t put words to. Before either of them could claim her, another one of their colleagues managed to scoop her up. Naturally, the good-natured female would accept their offers, as long as there wasn’t someone who she hadn’t battled with yet vying for her partnership.

But today, Raihan arrived at the stadium early and cornered her before someone else. “Mind if we partner up? I’d like to see how unstoppable we are when we work together.”

Her heart raced, an unexpected reaction to his question. Raihan noticed her eyes lit up as she responded with an excited: “I’d love to!” Truthfully, she’d been hoping the dragon-training Gym Leader would ask her to be his partner since she hadn’t had a chance to battle with him yet, or Leon, who’d been a little busier with his responsibilities at the Battle Tower the past several days. 

As expected, the two battled excellently together, crushing their opponents with ease. Light’s Pokemon complimented his dragons perfectly, filling in for any weaknesses his Pokemon displayed, and visa versa. Once he asked her to be his partner, she’d clearly crafted her team to balance his, rather than using the same Pokemon each time like the rest of the crew did. It was probably why she remained undefeated, taking her teammates styles into consideration. It made Raihan curious about what she’d do if she wasn’t always thinking of her teammates and how to compliment them.

“Light,” he asked when they reached the locker room. Raihan fought a blush as he remembered the last time they were alone in this room. She turned her large green eyes to him as he continued. “You’re always held back by your teammates,” he was being blunt about it, but he didn’t care. He was one of the people who held her back, and he knew it. “What Pokemon would you use for this tournament if you weren’t?”

Light was surprised by the question. She didn’t think of her teammates as holding her back; she just wanted to be a good teammate for whoever she battled with, having fun participating in the tournament. Truthfully, Leon’s newest tournament was making her job as Champion much easier than she’d expected, giving her the chance to excite her fans by doing exactly what she loved most- having fun Pokemon battles with her friends. “I- I don’t know,” she said quietly. “I just like to bring out my partner’s strengths to help them have a great battle.”

Raihan scoffed at this. “Come on, like you haven’t noticed that you could take everyone out twice as fast if you could use all of your own Pokemon in the double battle instead of partnering with someone else?” 

Light frowned, upset with his callous comment. She didn’t like the insinuation that her friends were weak, and especially didn’t like the insinuation that she was, or thought she was better than anyone else. She grabbed her bag of toiletries, storming into the shower room without another word. 

Surprisingly, Raihan followed. He was thankful that they appeared to be alone, knowing how badly this would look to anyone who hadn’t actively heard their conversation. Actually, his earlier comments would have ruffled a few feathers too, but he didn’t give a shit. She turned on her heels, glaring at him when she realized he was still behind her. “Stop being such an ass Raihain,” she glowered. Raihan was surprised by how serious, yet at the same time gorgeous she could look when she was angry. 

He wasn’t going to back down. “You don’t have to pretend with me,” he sneered. “You’re the newest undefeated Chamption in Galar, the one who took down the almighty Undefeated Champion Leon after being endorsed by him yourself. You can’t tell me that you don’t think you’re better than everyone else.” Raihan took a step forward, closing some of the distance between the two of them. 

Light held her ground, not backing away from the tall dragon trainer. “I don’t,” she snarled. “Unlike you, I don’t go around acting cocky all the time and thinking I’m better than everyone else. I battle for me and my Pokemon, not trying to prove myself to everyone else.” Light could sense she was the one going too far now, but Raihan had riled her up, causing emotions she hadn’t felt since the day she battled Rose. 

Raihan chuckled darkly pressing forward. The two of them stood so that less than an inch remained between their torsos. The occasional deep breath resulted in a brief moment of contact. If her comments had hurt him, he wasn’t showing it. 

Raihan himself was feeling intrigued by Light’s rage. The normally calm woman was losing her cool, her restraint. This was a level of rivalry that he’d never experienced with Leon. No matter how many times he battled Leon, or lost, he’d never wanted to do anything that actively made his friend angry. This, however, was entertaining, interesting on so many levels to him. He wanted more of that fiery look that burned in her eyes. 

“Get out Raihan,” She hissed at him. 

“And what if I don’t?” he challenged, an amused smirk on his face.   
It was the smirk that pushed her to do what she did next. Light reached behind her for the faucet that would turn the shower on them both. The cold water hit them both instantly and Raihan finally jumped back. He looked at her in surprise for a moment, before laughing heartily and leaving the shower room. 

Raihan thought about the interaction as he left, his clothes dripping with the cold, wet water she’d unleashed on them both. He was already looking forward to the next time he could argue with her like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bahahaha XD easily will go down as one of my favorite Raihan/Light moments in the story


	4. Don't Hold Me Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iiiiiiit's happeninggg! 
> 
> I combined this chapter with another to make it a little longer, since they were both short.

“She did what?!?” Leon asked bellowing with laughter as Raihan recounted the incident from the previous day with Light. “Oh my goodness, that’s hilarious. You definitely deserved it man.”

Raihan tossed a french fry at his best friend. “Hey, whose side are you on?” He joked. 

“Lights. Definitely Light’s,” his best friend said definitively, and then turned serious. “Dude, that was pretty far out of line, even for you. Light’s actually really nice. There is zero chance she thinks she’s better than anyone else.”

“Got a little crush on our new champion, Lee?” Raihan teased, although he knew what the answer would be. His best friend hadn’t so much as looked at a girl, or guy for that matter, since he’d become Champion- he’d been far too busy. His responsibilities now were still as all-consuming, making it hard for the purple-haired man to find a solid work-life balance.

To Raihan’s immense surprise, Leon didn’t answer right away, blushing slightly. “Well, maybe a little,” he admitted. “But don’t worry Rai, I’m not going to let that stand in your way. I promise, I’m definitely not about to make a move there.”

“Why in the hell would you think you’re standing in my way?” Raihan scoffed, not looking his best friend in the eye. “The girl irritates the hell out of me.”

“Exactly,” Leon said with a knowing smile, which irritated Raihan even more. 

Leon, having the afternoon off today, ended up partnering with Light during the Galarian Stars Tournament. Light was excited at the opportunity to battle with her newfound rival, the two sharing a battle that would make their fans go absolutely crazy. She’d also been excited to see the strength that they would bring out of each other after having faced him in some other incredibly intense battles. It also didn’t hurt that she had the chance to face Raihan with her current partner, something she was sure would drive the dragon trainer absolutely insane. 

“So, what’s going on with you and Raihan?” the former champion asked you between matches as the both of them prepared for the final round. Leon had become a close friend of her after the Darkest Day, which was natural after the two of them had shared something so intense together. And he was best friends with her new rival, so naturally he would notice that something was off between his two closest friends. 

“Other than Raihan being an ass?” she snorted, to which Leon chuckled. “Nothing really. He seems to have some notion that I think I’m better than everyone else, which of course I don’t think. Honestly, if anything, I’m worried that my win against you was a fluke,” she admitted to her friend softly. It was something that had been weighing on her mind recently, something she hadn’t even confessed to her best friend, Hop. 

Leon wrapped her in a brief, friendly hug. “Hey,” he said gently. “It wasn’t a fluke. I’ve watched you battle here, with everyone else. There’s something special about you, and the way you battle. It’s different from the way Raihan battles, or even the way I battle. So don’t doubt yourself, ‘kay?”

She nodded, and Leon released her, which was right when Raihan walked in. An unreadable expression crossed his face at the sight of her and his best friend. “You guys coming to the match?” he said gruffly, turning to walk back to the pitch.

“Sorry,” Light apologized to Leon. “I didn’t mean to make us late. And thanks…for what you said earlier.”

He chuckled softly. “No problem. Now let’s get out there and pummel Raihan. Maybe we can teach him a lesson,” Leon chuckled wistfully as the two walked out onto the pitch.

Leon had kept his promise; he and Light had made quick work of Raihan and Kabu’s team. The two high-fived to celebrate their victory, earning yet another glare from Raihan. 

Raihan was surprised by his annoyance at the way his best friend interacted with Light. Earlier he’d caught them coming out of an embrace, and they touched yet again as they high-fived. Both, of course were harmless actions of course. Logistically, Raihan realized that, but a deeper, more irrational part of him was much more annoyed as he remembered his best friend’s admission just earlier that day. He’d never admit it to either of them, but the thought of his two rivals getting together made his blood boil. He told himself that was what had bothered him, the thought of his two rivals teaming up on him, swapping training secrets to take him down even harder. It wasn’t a completely outlandish theory, possibly even partially true. 

Still, when the other Gym Leaders cleared and Leon wished him a goodnight as he tended to his wounded Pokemon on the field, he hoped in spite of himself that Light would still be there, as she had the past few days.

And sure enough, as he walked into the locker room, she was waiting for him, seated on his regular bench with an annoyed expression on her face. “What the hell is your problem?” She asked, arms crossed over her chest. 

“I see Ms. Undefeated Champion is getting a little cozy with former Mr. Undefeated Champion,” Raihan deflected, pretending to look at something on his phone, as if he was unaffected by their budding friendship. Again, he knew he was off-base, but he also knew the comment would probably get a rise out of her. He’d never actually betray Leon’s trust, but he could still tease her.

He watched her try, but fail at not taking the bait as he sat next to her. “We’re friends,” she scowled. “Ever try having one?”

“Aww, you mean to tell me we aren’t friends?” he joked.

“Hah, in your dreams,” she retorted, her eyes burning again.

“Good,” he quipped back. “Wouldn’t want to be your friend anyway.”

“Then, what do you want?” She asked in a soft, alluring voice. Her eyes looked at him in a soft, yet teasing way.

Raihan had been expecting her to huff off like she did the other day, or to quip back with some clever remark. He hadn’t been expecting that soft, teasing tone, or the way her eyes looked at him now. 

In the end, it was his undoing as he grabbed her by the arms. “This,” he growled, pulling her close until her lips met his, planting a rough kiss on her mouth.

Light froze at first, taking just a second to comprehend what was happening. It didn’t take long for her to reach her hands around, gripping the front of Raihan’s shirt to pull him closer as she kissed back, opening her mouth slightly to feel his tongue against hers. He moaned at the contact, moving his arms to wrap around her waist and shoulders as if he couldn’t bring her close enough. Her lips were every bit as soft, yet firm against hers as he’d pictured. Though she was inexperienced, her lips moved flawlessly with his, her tongue meeting his as if she’d done this a thousand times before. She was good.

Leon had been right, he realized as he kissed her. Those feelings of annoyance, the urge to see her face as they argued, it had all been a part of these complicated feelings he had for her. Every time his best friend had touched her, that annoyed, angry feeling had been jealously. 

Eventually, they broke away to catch their breath from the intensity of the kiss. “Look, I’m sorry,” Raihan said between gasps once he could speak. “I was a dick. The things I said… they were just to get a rise out of you. You’re kinda cute when you’re angry,” he chuckled sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

“You were a dick, but I guess I forgive you… for now,” she teased, nudging him with her shoulder. “I went a little too far too, although for the record I’m not ever going to apologize for spraying you with water. That was too funny.”

Raihan laughed, putting an arm around her shoulder. The movement felt a little awkward at first, but Light didn’t flinch, instead leaning into him. The slight flush of pink on her cheeks was irresistible to him, and he kissed each of her pink cheeks gently. “Oh, you never have to apologize for that,” he laughed softly. “Although maybe next time the water can be warm, and we can be wearing a little less clothing?”

She laughed, pushing him off the bench, standing as he scrambled to his feet. Yet again, she surprised him. Raihan hadn’t been expecting such a small woman to be so strong. “I think it’s time for you to go, so I can actually take a shower,” she said.

Raihan pretended to pout, but agreed, grabbing his stuff. Light reached up to kiss him before he left, leaving both of them with a cheesy grin on their face as they parted ways. “See you tomorrow!” she called as he left. 

Raihan dialed his best friend’s number as he left Wyndon Stadium. “Bro, can I come over? You’ll never believe what just happened.”

***

Leon gave Raihan an impressed look as he paused his video game. Raihan told him what had just happened with Light in the locker room. He also noted a slight wistful look to his best friend’s face and immediately began to regret the recount he’d given. Leon had also been developing feelings for the girl, who Raihan had just been practically bragging about kissing.

“Ah, sorry bro,” he said sheepishly, “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Leon shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Like I said, I wasn’t going to stand in your way. It was pretty obvious you’re the one she liked. I wasn’t about to keep two of my best friends from being happy. Just… don’t treat her like you do other girls, okay?”

Raihan frowned. Leon had never outwardly expressed his distaste at the way he acted with women before. Sure, Raihan had a bit of a reputation for being a playboy, but he never thought his best friend had much of a problem with his behavior. This was different though. In the past, Raihan made his expectations of the relationships (if you could call them that) clear from the get-go: he didn’t want a relationship, that it was only a no-strings-attached agreement. He’d held up his end of the bargain every time, but always was made to feel like the jerk when the girl he was sleeping with caught feelings and started wanting more. 

Light was a different story. It had been a long time since Raihan actually had developed feelings for someone. “I…it’s different…” he trailed off, not sure how to put it into words. “Light is different. I like her.”

That made Leon smile. “Me too. For you, I mean. Well, you know.” He laughed uncomfortably. “What I mean is, don’t jump into it if all you’re going to end up wanting from her is sex. She deserves better than that.”

Raihan nodded in agreement. “I wouldn’t do that to her, I promise.”

The two men played video games the rest of the night. Raihan crashed at Leon’s hotel suite since he planned to be in Wyndon early the next day for the tournament anyway. As he tried drifting off to sleep, Raihan was acutely aware that Light’s own suite was just down the hall. He wondered what she looked like when she slept. Would she be wearing baggy sweats and a t-shirt to bed, or some silky sleep set or night gown? The more he thought about it, the more tempted he was to sneak down the hall. Of course, he wouldn’t do that. Not tonight anyway. 

The next morning, right as Leon and Raihan arrived at the pitch, he slung an arm around Light’s shoulders, who’d naturally shown up early as always. She smiled, albeit confused. Raihan didn’t typically show public displays of affection. What surprised her even more was when he had Rotom take a picture of the two of them. “Be my partner for the day?” he asked her, to which she agreed. Naturally, he posted the shot of the two of them with the caption ‘My partner.’ He’d let the subtleties confuse all of Galar as to what type of partner she was. 

“Hey,” he said, catching her in the locker room before their match started. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips before continuing. “I want you to use whatever Pokemon you’d use if you weren’t battling with me.”

A perplexed expression crossed her face, and then she walked over towards the match lineup. If she was battling alone, she always would build her team accordingly to whoever she was facing. Raihan caught her arm, stepping in front of her before she could reach the bracket. “Oh, no you don’t,” he said grinning. “I want to see what you’d pick, no holds barred. Just go with your gut.”

She frowned, crossing her arms. When she realized Raihan wouldn’t budge, she sighed and thought through her Pokemon. Lately, she’d been training hard with her Gallade, Dragapult, Noivern, Cinderance, Haxorus, Tsareena, Blastoise and Corviknight, rotating them out of course. Even without her partner being Raihan, she certainly wouldn’t use three dragon type Pokemon in the matches- that left her incredibly vulnerable to ice, fairies, and other dragons. Gallade, knowing both psychic and fighting style moves, as well as some fairy tricks up its sleeve, was a must for most of her battles. No matter who the opponent, it proved as a trusty partner. She sighed, wishing she could see the bracket and who she’d be facing in today’s matches. Light was always pretty good at predicting who would end up facing her from each bracket based on the lineups and who their partner was. She chose Corviknight as her next choice. It wasn’t her strongest Pokemon, but Corviknight knew a mixture of flying and steel moves that would balance out her Gallade nicely. And also come in handy in case she did have to face any fairy-types today. Her last pick came down to between her Dragapult and Blastoise. She liked the ghostly dragon and the way it occasionally would snicker, joking around with her on the field. But she also loved her Blastoise, and the way it had been a rock for her, excited to be her partner when she met it on the Isle of Armor. 

Ultimately, she decided to go with Blastoise, the calmer of the two presences. Raihan would be joking enough on the field, always looking to get a rise out of her, and her Blastoise would combat that, acting as a grounding presence rather than a catalyst. Her Dragapult’s snickers at her jokes would only egg her on towards the dragon trainer. “Okay, I think I’ve got it,” she said, brow furrowing.

Raihan could have swooned as he saw the look of concentration on her face. Her thinking face was just too cute to him. He pressed a kiss to the little area that was scrunched up between her eyebrows. “Let’s hear it,” he said with a grin.

“Okay, I’m bringing my Gallade, Corviknight and Blastoise,” she said with a smile. As she said it, the team felt good to her. Well balanced, like she preferred it. 

That earned a grin from Raihan. He was excited to see her pick a team she hadn’t put together yet, without planning ahead. She was going to have to rely on her wits and strength in the moment, rather than carefully crafting a team based on who she had yet to fight. He was going to see a different side of her today, the side that came out when she was backed into a corner. He had another reason for being excited of course. “I hope we face Lee today. I can’t wait to see that Blastoise of yours blast his Charizard into tomorrow.”

Light shoved his shoulder at the comment but laughed as they walked out to the pitch. Their hands intertwined through the length of the dugout, releasing once they were in eyeshot of the fans. Raihan gave her a knowing smile as they picked up the pace, jogging together. His Rotom floated behind them, already recording what would be an incredible sequence of matches for him to post later.

They ended up winning, but just barely. Without being able to plan ahead, Light’s Pokemon took hits a little harder during their matches than usual, the opponents proving tougher. Still, she drew on her own strength, and some of Raihan’s and ultimately finished the match. Raihan had been right; they did face Leon in the end, and it was her Blastoise that ended up securing the match against his fiery ace. Even at a type disadvantage, though, Leon’s Charizard was a tough opponent for her turtle-like creature, coming down to the very last moments of the battle. Raihan cheered as they won, hugging her around the waist and spinning her through the air, celebrating his victory. Rotom, of course, worked to grab snapshots of the moment, knowing he’d want to share them all later.

Light blushed when he set her down. Again, it was another instance of PDA she hadn’t been expecting from Raihan. The crowd didn’t seem to think too much of it, cheering wildly as the pair celebrated. She supposed everyone could chalk it up to him being excited about finally having a win against Leon, even if it was with her. The purple haired male, along with her best friend and his younger brother, Hop, came over to shake their hands, congratulating them on the battle. Yet again, wild cheers erupted from the audience. Two sets of rivals had fought in an incredibly close match, and this time Leon had finally lost to his long-time rival.

The taller man was clearly excited about this first victory, cheering and waving to the crowd as he took his stance on the field with Light. She was suddenly reminded of how beloved he was by fans, the reputation he held with his female ones in particular. A series of doubts now clouded her mind; was she just another of his conquests? Was bedding the champion just a new challenge for him? She thought about this to herself as they walked back into the locker room, which was crowded with the other gym leaders who were buzzing about the match they’d just watched.

Nessa, who she’d grown close with over the past few months, wrapped her in an excited hug. “Oh my goodness, Light! That battle was soo intense! I thought if I blinked I was going to miss something. Your Blastoise is incredible!”

The water Gym Leader’s praise calmed her slightly. “Thanks Ness. He learned a lot from when we teamed up together, even if I didn’t use him in that battle. And, of course, when we ran into you at the island when he was just a Squirtle.”

Nessa smiled. “He was such a little cutie! Congrats girl! You crushed it today. I bet Raihan’s going to be celebrating his win against Leon all day. He certainly seemed happy.”

Light blushed. “Yeah… I mean he did. I don’t think Leon’s ever going to hear the end of it. Well, until Leon beats him again.”

“Hey now, you just helped me win and you’re already planning my defeat?” Raihan asked, pretending to pout as he slumped an arm around Light’s shoulders. She flinched slightly, but didn’t recoil from the touch. She also noticed the way Nessa eyed the placement of his arm, eyes widening in shock for a moment before composing herself. 

“Well, we all know Leon’s going to crush you if he teams up with Light again. I’d say their battles are pretty electric,” Nessa toyed, eyeing the two playfully. Uh oh, Light worried, Nessa was trying to get a rise out of Raihan. The other girl wasn’t exactly oblivious to Light’s feelings. In fact, they’d even talked about it over drinks that first night of the tournament, after Raihan had been vulnerable with her. She liked him, as more than just a friend or rival. But did Raihan feel the same, or was she just another conquest?  
Raihan took Nessa’s bait, oblivious to what the other girl was doing. “Guess I’ll have to keep Light all to myself then. No way am I gunna give Lee the chance to beat me again, or steal my favorite tournament partner” His arm around her shoulder tightened slightly, bringing her closer to his body. 

The water type Gym Leader ‘mm-hmm-ed’ softly before grabbing her stuff and leaving the locker room. The place had cleared out faster than either trainer had realized, leaving just them and Leon, who began to saunter over with a grin on his face, in the locker room. Yet again, Raihan’s arm around Light tightened, this time pulling her so that she was almost flush against his front. 

Light frowned, escaping the grasp. She didn’t like how Raihan was acting, not without understanding it. “I’m going to take a shower,” she announced. “If either of you peek, I’m going to have my Dragapult haunt your dreams for the next year.” She grabbed a towel and stormed off, leaving both men to drool at her as she walked away.

Leon laughed once she had left, and Raihan smacked him lightly on the side of the head, which made him laugh even more. “Relax Rai, I’m not going to steal your girl.”

“As if you could,” Raihan quipped, his eyes still locked in the direction Light had gone off to. He was a little thrown off by the way she’d ducked out of his arm so quickly when Leon had joined them. She hadn’t exactly been the one to initiate any of the physical contact today, and certainly hadn’t reciprocated whenever the former champion was around. He scowled. Wasn’t there one thing he didn’t have to compete with Leon over? It didn’t matter if Leon wasn’t actively going for the girl; if she wanted Leon, she wanted Leon. 

A concerned frown washed over Leon’s features. “Rai, it’s clear she likes you. Her and I are just friends. You can either do something about it and ask her on a real date, or you can keep pushing her away by lashing out at anyone you think is a threat; it’s your choice.” With that, his best friend left the room in an annoyed huff. 

Raihan sighed, sitting down on the bench as he waited for Light. Leon was right, and Raihan wasn’t being fair to either of them. Flaunting her in front of him wasn’t going to make anyone feel better, and clearly wasn’t making her any more comfortable with the situation. The idea of a date intrigued him, but he didn’t know where to begin. He’d taken many women on the same signature date in Hammerlocke: a trip to the vault, a dinner and then a tour of the stadium, after which he’d either have sex with the girl right there on the pitch or invite them back to his place depending on his mood. Obviously, that wasn’t what he wanted to do with this girl, who he actually liked. He also wasn’t planning to jump into bed with her immediately, despite how badly he wanted her. No, Raihan wanted to get to know her: the things she liked, what made her smile, her favorite places to eat in Galar- all of it. Soft footsteps pulled him from his thoughts.

“Oh, you’re still here?” she asked, one towel wrapped around her body while she dried her rose gold hair with another. The redness in her cheeks from the warm water made her green eyes pop more than usual. She was positively the most beautiful thing Raihan had ever seen. 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier- with Lee, well, with everything really,” he apologized sheepishly, not meeting her eyes as she came to stand in front of him. He also worked to keep his eyes on the floor, or anywhere other than her petite frame covered by only a towel. She didn’t say anything, so he continued. “I’d love to take you on a date, if you’re okay with it, that is.” he finally looked up to meet her eyes.

Surprise crossed her features. Light had been expecting more snide remarks and possessive touches, which of course only would have angered her more. She looked into his bright blue eyes, searching for some sign of mockery, an ulterior motive, but only saw sincerity; he did feel bad about how he’d acted. “Raihan…what do you want from me?” She asked instead of answering his question.

It was his turn to be surprised, and then hurt. Her words stung him as he realized he hadn’t been sincere enough with her, that she didn’t realize yet what he’d only just begun to acknowledge himself. “I like you, Light,” he answered simply.

Light blinked for a moment. “I…like you too,” she answered hesitantly, putting a hand on his arm, both because she wanted the physical touch and to keep him at a distance, holding him at arm’s length. “But I don’t just want to be another one of your conquests. I mean, I’m not… I don’t really do the whole friends-with-benefits kind of thing. I’ve never really done the whole dating thing either, to be honest, but I-“

Raihan interrupted her with a kiss, one that was sweeter than she’d imagined him capable of. It left her a little dizzy. “You’re not, Light. I like you.” He wanted to say more to reassure her, but he didn’t know how to put into words what he was thinking and hoped his explanation would be enough.

She sighed, wishing he would give her just slightly more than an ‘I like you,’ but she knew even that was more than the man usually was comfortable sharing, so she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. “Fine,” she agreed. “One date to see where this goes, and then maybe I’ll agree to another if it goes well.”

He grinned, cupping her face to kiss her excitedly. The wetness of her hair seeped into his clothing and he realized suddenly that she was pressed against him, only a towel separating them. Raihan felt the blood rush to his groin and gently moved Light so that there was now space in between their bodies.She blushed, realizing the same thing. “I’ll be waiting outside while you get changed,” he said in a gruff voice, trying (and failing) to look anywhere besides her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Leon's also got it bad for our Light, but is so supportive of his best friend. 
> 
> I imagine Raihan as a man who's never been in a situation where he's felt jealousy over a woman since he's never had a real relationship, so I think he'd struggle a bit with those feelings for a bit before he gets comfortable with himself, especially coupled with the doubt he often feels coming in second-best to Leon all constantly.


	5. Fun in the Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now it's time for our fluffy little date!

Outside, Raihan readied his Flygon for the trip, unsure where they would be heading. He was thankful that his trusted dragon was larger than the average of its type and was strong enough to carry the two. He’d seen Light fly around on her Corviknight, so he knew she wouldn’t be afraid to take his Flygon rather than a flying taxi. He hated taking those when he could avoid it; flying on his partner Pokemon was so much more freeing.

As always, when Light exited the stadium, she looked gorgeous in her casual clothes: a short skirt, cropped tshirt and a dark blue leather jacket. It was a signature look for her, especially the jacket. Besides her Gym Challenge and the stadium matches, Raihan had never seen her without it. It was becoming as signature as Leon’s cape, or his own dragon-themed hoodie. Although, of course, nothing would quite compare to seeing her in only a towel. 

“Thought we’d take Flygon, that cool with you?” he asked with a grin, scooping her up into a hug and twirling her in the air, much as he’d done after their match. Taking her out on a date made him feel even more excited than their earlier win against Leon.

Light grinned. She loved the feeling of flying. Corviknight and her had spent many hours dashing around Galar. It felt like the whole region was at her fingertips every time she was up in the air. “Always,” She answered, climbing onto the dragon type eagerly. Flygon regarded her carefully, having only encountered her as the trainer whose Pokemon constantly pummeled her, along with a few victories. Seeing her trainer so happy, though, the Pokemon accepted Light, allowing the girl to pet her gently as she sat. Raihan slid onto the Pokemon behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. He signaled to Flygon, who flapped her wings and lifted off the ground, flying a tad slower than usual with the extra weight on her back.

“I thought we’d go to Hulbury,” Raihan said. “It’s got those outside vendors with a few choices, or the seafood restaurant, whichever you’d prefer. Then after, I thought maybe we could take a boat ride around the city, since the weather there is so nice, or maybe some fishing. I didn’t know what you like, so I tried to plan a variety of things, things I don’t usually do on dates,” he admitted sheepishly.

This made Light grin. Raihan clearly wasn’t always the best with words, but him planning a date that wasn’t the typical ‘Raihan treatment’ for his succession of women showed that things were different with her. “That sounds great Rai,” she said and turned to place a kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her use of his nickname as they enjoyed the rest of the flight in silence. Both of them were acutely aware of the way the wind pressed her backside into him, and the way his hands held her hips. This was the first time, however, that Light could enjoy the sensation of his touch without extra added worries she’d had before. 

Raihan had been right; the weather in Hulbury was beautiful today, and Light was thankful she’d worn the lighter of the outfits she’d packed in her bag today. The two of them opted for the outside vendors for food to continue basking in the sunlight. Naturally, the bystanders also enjoying the local market stared, whispering to each other as they noticed the way Raihan’s hand was linked with Light’s. Raihan didn’t care what they thought. In fact, he took the opportunity to snap a picture as he kissed her on the cheek. He’d already posted the video of their battle and the picture of his lifting her in the air. He posted this one as well, captioning it with a: ‘she makes me feel like I’m winning on and off the field’. 

Light rolled her eyes playfully at him as she ordered her own food, fish tacos, from the vendor. She wasn’t used to so much media attention, although she occasionally posted on social media herself. Raihan was sort of the resident expert on social media, constantly sharing his life with all of Galar. Surprisingly, it made her feel a little more secure in him, as he’d never posted about his one-night stands, or even any previous girlfriends that she was aware of. Even before her Gym Challenge, she’d followed Leon and Raihan on social media, watching all of their televised matches and interviews that she could. She’d always been interested in the Gym Challenge, specifically in battling those two, who’d held their positions for quite some time. Neither had ever posted about relationships, only their battles and friendly outings. Light had always figured it was due to their PR reps, urging them to keep those details private. After today, she realized the men just hadn’t found anyone they’d wanted to share to the world. Or, at least Raihan hadn’t. She’d realized rather quickly after becoming friends with Leon that he wasn’t focused on romance and didn’t really have time with how busy his duties in Wyndon kept him. She snapped a quick picture of her fish tacos, with the seascape in the background to post to her own story. Raihan’s post had clearly shown where they were, so Light figured this would be a way to confirm the rumors, without being overly forward of course. 

Raihan noticed this, smiling slightly, but also feeling a little bummed that she hadn’t shared a picture of them directly. Did she not want the region to know they were currently together? Was she embarrassed of him? Or did the social media attention just make her uncomfortable altogether. He landed on that last one, remembering that the rosy-haired woman didn’t often post much. A screencap that confirmed her location, which was with him, he decided, was more than she would normally share. Although he’d sort of forced her hand. “I can take it down,” he offered meekly, knowing the damage had already been done.

She smiled genuinely. “No, I like it.” Truthfully, she did. “Keep it up. But also if you post a picture of me mid-bite of these tacos, I’m never speaking to you again,” she threatened, digging into her food, and moaned softly. The taste was incredible, fresh.

Raihan raised an eyebrow, setting his phone on the table and putting his hands in the air as if to surrender before digging into his own burrito bowl. Like her, he’d ordered the fish, and the same happy sound escaped his own lips. This place was amazing; why hadn’t he tried this before? Nessa had invited him, along with the other leaders, several times and he’d always   
refused. Raihan noticed the way his date nibbled happily at her food. He swore to Arceus he saw her doing a slight happy dance each time she tasted the food, not realizing it herself. He resisted the urge to capture it for just himself, proof of it when she’d deny it later. 

When they finished, they walked hand-in-hand down to the boat docks, attracting even more fans to gawk at the sight of their PDA. They hopped on a private boat, nothing but a driver. When they were far enough away from spectators, Raihan pulled Light onto the floor of the deck so that he laid almost on top of her, kissing her gently as the boat rushed through the waves. He was willing to bet that the sea around them, or the sights of Hulbury behind them were gorgeous, but all he cared about was the girl in his arms. This girl, with her beautiful green eyes that looked up at him with heat in them. The girl with her rose gold hair that was splayed out on the boat deck, shining in the sun. Her smooth, soft limbs that Raihan couldn’t help but run his hands over. He wanted her. He wanted her badly. And by the look in her eyes, she wanted him too. 

Light wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing happily into the kiss. She shrugged out of her jacket, the heat of Raihan’s body against her providing more than enough warmth for the moment, despite the breeze that the boat kicked up around them. Raihan had removed his own sweatshirt, exposing his bare, muscled chest against her torso. He was a good kisser; she gave him that. His lips were soft against hers, moving together in sync, and his tongue was both a combination of not being too forceful, yet being just forceful enough to leave her wanting more. His hands knew what they were doing as they trailed her arms, her waist, her thighs. She certainly appreciated the way he was careful not to touch anything too sensitive, or more too fast for her, though his hands roamed dangerously near her rear. This was the first time Light had really ever been this intimate with a man, her most intimate experience in her past being a brief kiss on the lips during a game of spin the bottle at a Gym Challenger party in one of the hotel suites along her challenge. Despite the way the muscles in her lower abdomen tightened, feeling excited at his touch, she knew it would be longer before she was ready to take it further with the dragon trainer. She could feel his excitement too, pressed against her thigh as their lips locked.

She sat up slightly, looking at her date. Raihan moved back immediately to give her the physical space, keeping a hand softly on her arm. He was incredibly attentive to the immediate change in her behavior. “I’m not ready to have sex,” she said bluntly, looking him in the eyes for any signs of disappointment or frustration.

His cerulean eyes gave way to no such emotion. Raihan looked at her sweetly, contentedly. “I know,” he said, kissing her on the nose.

“It’s just… I know you usually move faster than this, in relationships I mean,” she was rambling now.

Raihan straightened up, putting his other hand on her other arm and lowering his eyes to meet hers. “Those weren’t relationships,” he laughed softly. “This is my first, well, actual relationship. We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready to do, ever. I want this, I don’t want what I had in the past.”

Emotion welled in her throat as Light kissed him, relieved that her lack of experience and comfort with pushing further than where they were now didn’t bother him. She snuggled up next to her date, finally taking in the sights around them. More time had passed on the boat than either of them had realized as the sun began to set in front of them. 

The sunset was absolutely beautiful. What was even more beautiful, Raihan realized, was the way the orange and pink hues from the setting sun reflected on her smooth skin, making her green eyes pop yet again as she smiled, perfectly happy with the day. Raihan couldn’t have imagined a better first date if he tried. It had easily been the best date he’d even been on, even all the previous dates that had ended in sex combined couldn’t compare to today. He found himself disappointed as the boat pulled into the dock, their date coming to a close. Thankfully, she seemed to be in no particular hurry to leave his company as they climbed off the boat, strolling through the city with their hands laced together. 

“So,” Raihan asked as they strolled back to the street vendors. There was zero chance he was letting this date end before he bought her ice cream or some other dessert to stall for time. “Did I pass the test? Do I get a second date.”

She grinned, holding the ice cream they’d purchased to share in front of her lips. “Depends on how good this ice cream is,” she teased with a mischievous grin on her face. Raihan felt an unexpected rush of excitement to his groin as he watched her lick the soft dessert delicately. Light blushed as she realized he was staring at her, and she handed the cone for him to try. “I guess you pass this time,” she said decidedly once he’d tried it for himself. 

Raihan grinned, though he already knew she was going to say yes to a second date. That was easily the best date he’d been on, and everything about the way she’d looked at him on that boat told him she was having a blast too. It took all of the dragon trainer’s self-restraint not to snap another picture of her, sharing with all of Galar how much fun they’d had together, but he suspected that would be a little too much for the new Champion, who was already dealing with an overflow of new fans with her new Champion status. He let her finish the rest of the ice cream, trying desperately to not let his mind wonder to other places he’d love to see her tongue. It was clear she wasn’t for that type of physical intimacy, which Raihan was more than fine with. He’d wait until she was ready for anything she wanted to do, years if it took that long, although she’d likely be the complete death of him before then.

Light knew the end of the date was drawing near as the two of them walked to the outskirts of the town. She blushed, hesitating as Raihan readied his Flygon for the trip. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing she wasn’t eagerly jumping on as she had earlier. 

“Well, Hammlerlocke is on the way to Wyndon. Sort of. I mean, it’s more It would be a little silly for you to fly me all the way back to Wyndon just to come back the way you came. Maybe we should just fly separately?”

Raihan pouted. He still wasn’t ready to leave her. “What if we flew on your Corviknight, it he’s up for it of course. I promise I’ll be good and stop in Hammerlocke, and I won’t keep you a second longer than a quick goodbye.”

That made Light laugh. She knew her goodbye with Raihan would be long and drawn out, with a multitude of kisses. Still, the thought of showing him how well her and her partner Pokemon could fly excited the new champion. Itching to see the look on his face when he felt how fast a Corviknight, which usually was bogged down by the weight of a carriage, could fly. Sure, the giant bird would definitely be slower than usual with two passengers, but Light suspected suspected it would still be more than the dragon-rider was used to. His Flygon hadn’t exactly been nearly what she was used to speed-wise. 

Light released the Pokemon, who looked thrilled to be getting a chance to spread its wings, and then scoffed once it realized he’d be carrying a second passenger. She laughed softly at the bird, patting the head that bowed down to meet her hand. “I know, I know. We’ll fly just you and me together soon, okay? Tonight we’re going to have to be a little more careful. Raihan’s isn’t going to hurt either of us, I promise. He helped us win today, remember?”

The giant bird ruffled its feathers, as if to say it hadn’t needed the dark-skinned man and his Pokemon to win the day’s match, making her laugh all over again. Despite its cocky nature being so vastly different from her own, she loved it about the Pokemon. In her early adventure, the Pokemon’s level of confidence had boosted her own, helping her win some of the tougher earlier battles. Towards later half of her journey, the Pokemon had proven as a trusty partner, helping her out in several decisive battles when it seemed like the world was in danger. 

“What a cocky bastard,” Raihan joked, having witnessed the entire interaction.

“Hmm, maybe that’s why I like you so much,” she quipped, pretending to notice the attribute on both the Pokemon and the man for the first time. “Maybe you remind me of Corvvy here.” She climbed onto her Corviknight, patting the space behind her. The Pokemon turned its face away from Raihan in indignation, but lowered its torso to make it easier for her companion to climb on behind her. “Come on,” she invited him. “He likes you enough…for now.”

“Well, looks like we have one thing in common,” Raihan joked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder yet again. 

“What’s that?”

“Looks like neither of us like to share you.” Raihan placed a kiss on her cheek as the Corviknight lifted off the ground, cawing in what sounded like a laugh and agreement.   
Light could sense a terrifying friendship brooding on the horizion.


	6. A Champion Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give Leon some spotlight in this chapter, since I've been neglecting him so much throughout it so far. We also get a chance to see what's going through Light's head in the middle of her transition to her Championship.

A few weeks (and dates) had gone by since Raihan and Light’s first date. He continually surprised her with his sweetness, doting on her every time they were together and texting her constantly when they weren’t. By now, all of Galar was aware of their budding relationship, something which all of the other Gym Leaders enjoyed teasing about during the tournament. Raihan, who’d been neglecting his duties in Hammerlocke to enjoy the tournament and Light’s company, decreased his participation in the matches, leaving her to take the blunt of the teasing. Luckily Leon stepped in to defend her, partnering up with her when he could. Being his best friend’s girl, Light noticed the former champion was being extra friendly with her lately.

That morning, Light woke up to a chime on her phone, signaling she had a text. Excitedly, she reached for her Rotom phone, expecting it to be Raihan. Instead, it was Leon.

Leon:  
Take a break from the Galarian Stars Tournament today.

Light:  
And do what?

Leon:  
Challenge me at the Battle Tower, of course. 

Light thought about it for a moment. Raihan had told her that he would be staying in Hammerlocke for the day, and she had participated in the tournament every day since the first showing. Currently, she was the only person who had participated to this extent, with the exception of Shielbert and Swordbert, who had been the ones to spearhead the project with Leon. She texted back

Light:  
You’re on.

She smiled, getting ready for her day and throwing on her usual clothes for battling: Leggings and a cropped tshirt she’d had custom-made with the Galarian champion logo that all the former champions wore. Light send a quick text to Raihan before she rushed out the door. 

Light:  
Spending the day at the Battle Tower.

Raihan:  
Have fun babe, go kick Leon’s ass for me (;  
Since becoming Champion, this was her first time being back at the tower since she and Hop had rushed in, thinking Leon was in trouble. The building had an entirely new, much friendlier feel that the one and only other time she’d entered the building. Staff members now wore smiles on their faces and trainers eagerly gathered in the lobby, watching a variety of battles that appeared on the screens plastered in the lobby. One of the screens featured Leon, who readied himself by doing some stretching exercises with his Pokemon, waiting for his opponent to come challenge him. 

“Want to borrow a team?” One of the desk workers asked as she approached the desk.

“Borrow a team?” the question confused Light.

The worker smiled in understanding of her question. “Here at the Battle Tower, Leon has trained some Pokemon to be battle-ready for challengers so that even trainers who never got the chance to become strong with their own Pokmeon could participate in amazing battles.”

That made her smile. Leave it to Leon to be thoughtful towards trainers who didn’t make it as far as either of them had into their own challenges, or those who hadn’t been all that interested in training. “Sure,” she said, excited for yet another challenge in facing her rival. She’d proven herself against his team several times over with her own between single and double matches that they’d faced. Light picked a balanced team of Gengar, Dragonite and Togekiss, Pokemon she didn’t typically use in her own team, and took the elevator up the many floors until it reached the top, where Leon awaited. 

The former champion grinned as the elevator door opened. “Are you ready for a champion time?” They both teased at the same time, bursting into laughter as they did. Their match was difficult, certainly the toughest she’d faced in awhile since she wasn’t using her own team, whose moves and abilities she knew all the ins and outs of by heart. Ultimately, it ended up being a downfall for the rosy-haired girl, resulting in a loss.

She frowned. “So much for being an undefeated champion,” she joked, although the reality did sting slightly. Less than a few months in, and she’d already tarnished the legacy Leon had left for her. 

“Hey Rotom, cut the feed!” Leon called to his phone, which had broadcasted their match to the entire lobby, and possibly more, of the Battle Tower. The phone zoomed quickly from its position to Leon’s hand, switching into ‘off’ mode. Light had completely forgotten that their match had been filmed, making her feel all the worse at the quick loss. “Seriously, don’t sweat it,” he said to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “These weren’t your Pokemon, and you still almost beat me. I trained these guys. If anything, I lost to myself today.”

Light could tell he was trying to make her laugh, which she did. “If it counts for anything,” he continued. “I’d still call you undefeated. Or, at least your team is. The Pokemon you trained 

haven’t lost a single match, and have learned from everything you’ve done. Even now, I can see you’re learning from what happened, what you would have done differently, and what you’re going to do differently next time. I’ll bet that even with just a little more practice with this new team, you’d beat me pretty quick.”

“Leon… how are you so good at making me feel better every time I doubt myself?”

“Because I once had all of those doubts myself,” he said seriously, his amber eyes meeting hers head on. The normally playful man’s seriousness surprised her. It wasn’t very often that he let that happy guard down, and this was one of those surprising moments. It brought up a bunch of questions she didn’t even realize she’d had.

“Do you regret losing the championship match? Does a part of you hate me for it?” 

His eyes widened in surprise, but then the former champion laughed. “Not even a little bit,” he answered without hesitation, sitting on the floor and gesturing for her to join him. “I got to be the Champion for so many amazing years, and inspire so many trainers in that time. And now I get to do it in ways that never would have been possible when I was Champion, and when Rose was Chairman of course.”

Light didn’t miss the note of wistfulness in his voice as he spoke about his former mentor. “But you regret something there,” she noted. It wasn’t a question.

He nodded. “I do regret the role I ultimately played in the Darkest Day happening, and that you and Hop ever had to be involved. I should have seen it coming, after my talk with Rose. I was just angry at the way he was belittling me that I thought maybe he was trying to teach me some lesson, and that he cared enough deep down to watch our battle and wait until later on anyway. It keeps me thinking that maybe if I’d listened better, or taken him a little more seriously, that it all could have been prevented. Or, maybe if I hadn’t followed him so blindly, that maybe I would have seen it coming and stopped it sooner.” Tears threatened at the corners of his eyes as he said this.

Light wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug, understanding the pain that ripped through him. She’d seen firsthand how hard that day had been for him, seen the defeated look on his face as the Pokeball he’d thrown to catch Eternatus had flew open, breaking the ball in two before his eyes. She let her close friend cry, expressing the feelings he buried inside, away from the millions of eyes that were constantly on him. Her own emotions about the past few months spilled out themselves, the two trainers leaning on each other for support. “You did the best you could Leon,” she said through her own tears. “Rose had us all fooled. And, it’s okay to ask for help. Even the two heroes of Galar had each other’s backs; they weren’t alone. I had you, and Hop; I wasn’t alone. You’re not alone either. You have me now, and Hop, and Raihan.”

Leon’s arms returned the embrace, pulling her tight as he breathed out a shaky laugh. “Thanks Light,” he whispered. They sat silently in their emotional embrace, letting out the emotions they hadn’t been able to share with anyone else. She was acutely aware of his warm breath on her neck, making the skin there feel flush, and could only imagine the jealous look on Raihan’s face if he could see them now. No matter how many times she told the dragon trainer that Leon was just a friend, there was always a dark edge to his bright eyes any time his best friend was even close to her. Despite the amazing first date, and subsequent dates, and numerous kisses, that was something that never seemed to change. 

Slowly, the former champion released his arms from her, sitting upright once again. He wiped the tears from his face a final time before turning to grin at her, the cheesy smile he almost always wore back on his face once again. It made her return the smile as he stood up, helping her to her own feet. “Thanks for being such a great friend, Light. Seriously. I don’t know if there’s anyone else who could understand anything I’m feeling right now as well as you do.”

She knew how he felt. As a former Champion himself, Leon had shown he understood more of her insecurities than she thought he possibly would, surprising her immensely. Sure, Raihan would be supportive, and listen to her concerns, but he couldn’t relate to some of the specifics quite as well as the man who was talking with her now. Though, from their conversation almost a month prior, the one that had made her realize her feelings for the dragon tamer, maybe he would have understood her better than she gave him credit for. Was it wrong of her to confide solely in his best friend, when Raihan himself was trying to open up to her more? 

Her resolve was clear: she needed to get out of Wyndon for the remainder of the day, and actually talk with Raihan about her own fears, just as he’d done with her that first day. “I think I’m gunna take off to Hammerlocke for the rest of today, I owe Corviknight a wild ride around the region for toting Raihan back to Hammerlocke the other week” she said, giving Leon a final quick hug before leaving. 

“I think that’s a good idea,” the purple-haired male agreed, smiling at her. “Can you, uh, not tell Raihan, at least about the things I told you? It’s not really something I want to talk with him about yet.”

“Of course, nobody will hear it from me.”

“One more thing,” he added as she reached the elevator door. “Text me when you get there, so I know you’re safe, okay? Can’t tell you how many times I almost crashed with Charizard when I was distracted.”

Light nodded. This, she could do for him. It was sweet of her friend to care so much about her well-being after the moment they’d just shared.

When she finally reached the outside of the stadium and had lifted off on her Corviknight, the gush of wind around her felt amazing, freeing, as he bird soared at speeds it hadn’t been able to the last time they’d ridden together. She grinned as the wind blew her wild rose-gold hair behind her, the giant bird taking risks as it dove through the air, swaying from side to side. Light loved every wild moment of it. She loved it so much that by the time she’d reached Hammerlocke a little too quickly, she instructed her Pokemon to go just a little farther so they could dash through the Wild Area. The Pokemon cawed with delight, soaring over the stone walls that provided a border for the rustic city and down the large hillside that made up Hammerlocke Hills. Corviknight glided through the trees of the Dusty Bowl, excited that a sandstorm wasn’t present that day to cloud its vision. It continued past the large bridge, the Pokemon daycare, past the Motosoke border until they had reached the end of the Wild Area, having flushed past the entire landscape in a breeze. The Pokemon and its trainer circled back. 

As they flew over the Dusty Bowl, which had just been clear as day, an intense sandstorm picked up and a beam of energy knocked Corviknight back several feet. The harsh impact made Light lose her grip, sliding off of her Pokemon. She reached for it, a tree, anything to stop her fall. From above, she could hear her Pokemon cawing, searching for her, unable to find her as she fell to the ground. Everything went dark for Light as her body slammed into the ground, a slight glimpse of her Pokemon’s wings way up above was the last thing she saw before her vision gave out.


	7. Weather, it Rains or Storms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be mainly from Raihan's point of view as we watch him frantically search for his girl

It was about 7 oclock pm when Raihan’s phone rang, Leon’s caller ID appearing on the screen. 

“Hey man, my girl kick your ass yet?” he teased as he picked up.

“Is Light there?” his best friend asked, not taking the bait.

“Thought she was with you.” Raihan tried to keep the bitter edge out of his voice. While he didn’t like the thought of his best friend, who also had feelings for the girl, spending the whole day with her, it was time he accepted that the two were, and would continue to be good friends. Whether he liked it or not.

“She left here around noon to spend the rest of the day with you. Said she was going to take Corviknight out for a ride, but I don’t even think Charizard could fly for seven hours straight. I had her promise she’d text me when she got there because she seemed a little distracted today. Have you heard anything?”

Raihan began to worry. He hadn’t heard from her since that morning when she told him she was going to spend the day at the Battle Tower with Leon. He figured she’d be too busy; she never texted while she was busy having Pokemon battles, which he’d discovered over the course of the past week. “I haven’t heard from her since before she left this morning,” he said,   
rushing to put shoes and his hoodie on, having no idea where she could even be. “I’ll call you back once I find anything. Can you look around Wyndon?”

“Already on it,” his best friend said and hung up, leaving Raihan to call the girl himself. No answer. 

As Raihan ran down the steps of his castle, he noticed a larger crowd than usual around the Pokecenter. As he neared the commotion, he noticed a large Pokemon, a Corviknight, fluttering about anxiously, cawing as if to call for someone. Not just anyone: him, he realized as the Pokemon finally found it’s target, flying over to meet him halfway. It’s eyes and posture were anxious; something was wrong. Its trainer was nowhere in sight. “Lead me to her,” he said gently, beginning to mount the Pokemon.

The Corviknight shook its head, backing away from Raihan. The Pokemon nudged its large beak towards the first Pokeball on his belt- the one that contained his Flygon, and Raihan understood. Something had happened in the desert, in the sandstorm and the Pokemon needed the aid of his Flygon. The dragon trainer quickly released his partner, knocking his goggles down over his eyes. It wasn’t much, but it was at least something that could help him find her earlier. “I’ll follow you,” he told Light’s bird, climbing onto Flygon. 

As they flew over the Hammerlocke walls, Raihan could already see that this would be one of the most vicious storms he’d ever weathered, unsure of how safe it would be for even his Flygon. His partner understood, desperate to find the girl. It hadn’t taken much for the Pokemon to love her. Really, it didn’t take much for anyone to. 

The Corviknight led them to an area surrounded with deadened trees, squawking as it flapped its wings, retreating slightly to be out of the direct blow. Raihan brought his Flygon closer to the ground until he could hop off. With the low visibility, they’d have a better chance of finding her on foot. 

After a few minutes of searching, he stumbled upon a Growlithe, who stood protectively over a limp figure that Raihan just barely made out to be Light’s. She was clearly unconscious and badly hurt, as small pool of blood leaked around her. Raihan panicked, unable to tell where the blood was coming from, or how serious it was at the angle. The small pup growled fiercely as he drew closer, occasionally glancing back to make sure she was safe. 

Raihan sank to his knees, as if to be on the same level as the pup that was protecting his girl. As annoying as all hell that it was to now be held up from reaching her because he was busy appearing the Pokemon, it was also probably due to this same Pokemon that she was still alive and not eaten by some other wild beast. “Please,” he pleaded the pup, putting his hands out, palms up in submission to the animal. “I’m here to help her. My buddy here can take her to the hospital.”

The pup’s features softened, slinking back to nuzzle her face with its nose. The Growlithe had chosen her. A slight twinge of awe, and also annoyance ran through him. Of all the time for a Pokemon to choose its trainer, these little moments were ones that he could be spending saving her life rather than fucking about to catch a Pokemon. It was a though he’d regret later, but right now his focus was on getting her to the hospital. “You can come with us,” he offered, trying to keep his annoyance down as he rummaged through her bag to hold out a Pokeball. The Pokemon eagerly accepted, and Raihan put the ball in his shorts pockets for safekeeping. 

Raihan and Flygon worked gently, but quickly to get Light onto its back, Raihan cradling the Champion against his chest as they flew. Thankfully, Hammerlocke wasn’t far from the Dusty Bowl, and the caws of her Corviknight alerted the medical staff at the hospital just enough to get outside immediately, getting her onto a stretcher and into the care of the professionals. 

When she was out of his sight, Raihan called Leon back. “Hey Lee,” he said when the former Champion picked up. “I found her in the Dusty Bowl, she’s at the hospital right now.” He kept his voice calm, level as he spoke, trying not to clue to other man in to the panic that shot through him.

“How is she?”

“I dunno,” the darker skinned man answered honestly. “She was unconscious when I got there. She looked real bad Lee,”

“I’ll head out now; I’ll be there soon.”

“Why?” the Gym Leader challenged. It wasn’t like it was Leon’s girlfriend in the hospital right now, he didn’t need to rush over anytime something bad happened to her, he thought bitterly.

“She’s my friend Rai,” Leon said curtly. “You’re my friend too. And…it’s my fault.” He said the last part with a sad, sorry edge to his voice. 

Anger seared through Raihan. Just what the hell had his best friend done during their battle today? “You’re my best friend Lee, so I’m going to decide to let you tell me what the actual fuck happened before I decide whether I’m going to punch you in the fucking face or not. And for fuck’s sake, take a Flying Taxi here, I’ve seen you get lost or almost hurt enough on Charizard when you’re worked up about something”

Raihan could practically hear Leon’s wince from the other end of the phone. “I will,” the other man said softly and hung up the phone. 

It was a waiting game now. Raihan released the Growlithe from the Pokeball that he’d tucked into his pockets, hoping the presence of his girl’s little protector would calm him. The pup climbed into his lap, a confused look on its face when it saw its new trainer was nowhere in 

sight. “They’re taking care of her right now,” he explained to the Pokemon, stroking its soft, warm fur as he did. “I thought we could take care of each other until she’s ready for you. The pup gave a quite yip in agreement, and Raihan realized that Growlithes, at least this one, was far smarter than it appeared to be. 

Leon was a right mess when he walked through the door of the hospital. Despite his possible anger at the other man, Raihan seeked comfort in a hug with his best friend, something he could tell Leon needed just as much as he did. The new Pokemon, sensing his despair for Light, propped itself up onto its hind legs, resting its paws on the former Champion’s thigh, who chuckled softly at the creature. “Made a new friend, Rai?”

He laughed darkly as Leon reached down to pet the pup. “Light did. Somehow even unconscious she’s irresistible to everything around her. 

Leon’s face fell and he came to sit next to Raihan. “Rai…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have battled her today. She borrowed a team from the front desk and took her loss a little hard. She told me a little bit about the things that she was struggling with, and I shared some of mine and we got really…emotional. There’s so many things I haven’t been able to talk about with anyone that really only she understands, and she shared some of those with me. But she also wanted to be open with you, and talk to you about it and that’s when she left. I should have forced her to take a Flying Taxi, she just seemed so excited to fly on her Corviknight. I’m so sorry,” he apologized again, crying this time. 

In the ten plus years that Raihan had known Leon, not once had he seen the man cry. Ever. His anger lessened as he saw what the other man was going through. He understood now why Leon had been developing feelings for Light; she understood him in a way that no one else in his life had. She’d seen him on the Darkest Day and now held the title of Champion. He certainly couldn’t begrudge him those feelings- she somehow had the same effect on him. And he certainly couldn’t keep them from being friends. Light most likely needed Leon in her life the same way Leon needed her. It didn’t have to be a romantic relationship for them to understand each other so well, and Raihan was finally coming to terms with this. 

Raihan put his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Not your fault, Lee. I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole about you guys being friends. I should’ve realized how much you were going through, even if I didn’t understand it. She’s a good friend for you to have,” he admitted, although it was certainly a painful admission. 

The purple-haired male smiled. “Thanks. And I meant it, about not going after your girl. I’m not going to. I might if you were anyone else,” he teased, and Raihan was thankful to have even an ounce of their usual playful banter returning to the friendship. “but you’re good for her. You bring out some of the things about her that she was too shy to show the world during her Gym Challenge. She’s even confirmed being at the same place as you over social media, though I’m not sure that last one counts as a positive in your favor.”

The Growlithe snorted happily as both men petted it, happy to be hearing positive stories about the girl it already loved. He wasn’t sure how she did it; that girl had an affinity for Pokemon of all types, apparently even when she wasn’t awake. Raihan could already tell, though, that this little guy would grow on him. If there was a type besides dragons that he loved the most, it would have to be the fire-type, between his Turtonator and Torkoal, he used several himself. He distracted himself from the situation by imagining Light cuddled up with the Pokemon who currently sat in his own lap. Undoubtedly, she was going to cuddle the little pup to sleep each night. The little Growlithe might hold a grudge against her forever if she didn’t.

Several hours later, a doctor came out to greet them. Both men stood up immediately, the Growlithe yipping in shock as it scrambled to its feet after the sudden fall. “Sorry little guy,” Raihan heard Leon whisper. Of course he was growing attached to the creature too. 

“How is she?” Raihan asked immediately, suddenly panic-stricken once more.

“She’s stable,” the doctor told them. “There’s a few broken bones and what appears to be a mild concussion. We gave her a sedative to keep her under while we reset the bones. We’ll have to wait until she’s awake to assess if there was any serious brain damage. It could be hours or days until she’s fully lucid, but you can see her now, if you’d like. Just be careful.”

Neither man hesitated to follow the doctor. Raihan fought a mild surge of annoyance that Leon followed too, remembering that just moments ago his best friend confessed that he felt partially responsible for her accident. Raihan sighed, knowing that it didn’t matter how many times he assured the other man it wasn’t his fault; Leon would still naturally feel at least somewhat responsible for what had happened today. 

Bandaged up and resting on the hospital bed, Light looked even worse than when he found her, despite the hospital having cleaned the sand that was caked to her body. The Growlithe that walked with them whimpered at the sight, choosing to curl up on the floor next to her bed. Even the Pokemon could sense how fragile she was. Her left leg and arm were bandaged and elevated slightly; they clearly had been broken in her fall. Her other half had some bruises and scrapes, one large gash running down the side of her right arm, but didn’t appear to be broken. Raihan pulled his chair right next to her bed, ready for the moment she woke up. He noted that the purple haired male stood awkwardly in the doorway. “You coming in or not?” he hissed quietly, careful not to wake her. 

Leon hesitated. “Well, I was thinking, since we don’t know how long it will be, we should take turns getting some rest. I know you clearly aren’t going to leave now, so I can go first and come back when you need some rest.”

“Suit yourself, but I’m staying here as long as it takes.”

Leon frowned, but didn’t take that for an answer. “I’ll be back in awhile then. I’ve got to call some people in Wyndon and let them know about my absence anyway.”  
It was around 10 am the next day when Leon reappeared at the hospital. Raihan had sat, unwavering at her side, along with her new Pokemon companion. He’d given what little Poke treats and berries he kept stashed in his own bag and briefly searched the immediate surroundings for any sign of food for the pup, but to no avail. Thankfully, his best friend had thought ahead in his return, bringing some sustenance for the both of them. 

“Thanks,” Raihan mumbled, digging into the takeout he’d brought: a burger, fries and soda pop. Not something the dragon trainer preferred to eat on the regular, but it was certainly enough calories to sustain him for quite some time before he’d have to get anything else, something Leon had clearly thought about beforehand. Despite the other man’s feelings for his girl, it was clear that Leon had arrived today primarily as a source of support for Raihan, acting in his best interest. It made him feel a slight twinge of guilt at all the ill-will he’d wished his best friend in relation to his feelings for Light. Truthfully, he’d been acting unfair towards the former champion, which he vowed silently to himself to start amending. 

When he finished his food, Raihan decided that the best course of action would be to take Leon up on his offer to get some rest. Admittedly, his eyes had barely been open before the other man walked in. A short rest would probably do him some good, after all, he couldn’t be caught looking like a zombie when Light woke up. Surprisingly, the Growlithe decided to tag along with him, so he put the Pokemon in its Pokeball until he could give it his proper bed. He shuffled to his castle, releasing his Flygon to help him navigate the streets as he walked tiredly. Despite his anxiety, he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 0.o we got to see some of Raihan's soft and caring side, as well as introduce Light's new partner, Growlithe, who's also growing on both men a little bit


	8. A Smooth Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff and Leon/Raihan dynamic in this chapter! :3 We also get to see how Light reacts to her new partner Pokemon!

As Light awoke, she felt pain all throughout her body, her head most of all. Slowly, she recalled what had happened just before: flying through the desert with Corviknight, being knocked back by some force of energy and falling swiftly to the ground in the middle of a sandstorm, and realized she was in the hospital. Her head throbbed as she tried to sit up, making her wince and huff back down.

“Hey, easy,” a voice said, dashing over to her. A pair of amber eyes met hers. Leon. “Try not to move, okay? The doctors said you might have a mild concussion. How are you feeling?”

Light ignored his question. “Is Corviknight okay? How did I get here?”

The former champion chuckled softly. “Corviknight is fine. Raihan wouldn’t have found you without him.”

“Is Raihan okay?”

“Yes, he’s completely fine. I made him go rest at home for a bit, and I just let him know you’re awake.” There was a slight pause. “Light…this is all my fault. I should have made you take a taxi to Hammerlocke, knowing how upset you were. I’m sorry.”

She shook her head, the pain of it excruciating. “Leon, my flying was fine. Corvvy and I actually swooped through the Wild Area in record time, he was amazing. When we came through, the Dusty Bowl was perfectly clear. I mean, I’ve literally never seen it so clear. And then on our way back there was all of a sudden this sandstorm, and something strong pushed him back. It almost looked like Dynamax energy that hit us, but I never got to see what it actually was. Did Raihan see anything?”

Leon frowned. “No, he didn’t. He did say the sandstorm was one of the worst he’d ever seen though. Maybe it was just a gust of powerful wind that hit you?”

It was her turn to frown. Leon was acting as if she’d hit her head before she was knocked off of her Pokemon, not after. “No,” she said firmly. “It wasn’t just a gust of wind, I’m sure of it. Corviknight has flown through wind and sandstorms before and this wasn’t it.”

He nodded, finally believing her. “Okay, once Raihan gets here, I’ll go check it out, I promise.”

“Go check what out?” Raihan’s voice said in a huff. It was clear he’d sprinted the entire way over as he worked to catch his breath, immediately sitting next to Light. He was excited to show her the Growlithe, but it would have to wait until the serious matters were resolved first. 

“The Wild Area,” Light explained. She hoped desperately that Raihan would believe her. “Corviknight and I wanted a little flying practice, so we did a sweep through the Wild Area. The Dusty Bowl was clear our first run through, but there was a massive sandstorm on our way back. Something hit Corvvy, almost like Dynamax energy. It wasn’t just the sandstorm, you know how good of a flyer he is.”

To her surprise and relief, Raihan nodded in agreement immediately. Raihan had seen how bad the sandstorm was; it made sense if there was something else contributing to it, making the storm worse. “You should go check it out,” he nodded to his best friend, who turned and ran from the room without another word. Finally, he was alone with her.

Raihan reached for the Pokeball he’d stuffed in his pockets as he ran out of his room, holding it out of her eyesight for now. “So, even unconscious you’re somehow good at making friends, did you know that?”

Light looked at him, incredibly confused. What in all of Galar was he talking about?

He held up a Pokeball, releasing the Growlithe. The pup barked happily at seeing his new trainer, finally awake. It’s entire body wriggled with delight, and Light watched as Raihan struggled to lift the wriggly Pokemon up to meet her eyes. “This little guy protected you until I got there, and almost didn’t even let me get to you. He’s the reason you were still alive by the time I got to you.”

Her eyes lit up with delight as she looked at her new companion. Raihan set the pup gently on the bed to the side of her that wasn’t broken so that she could pet the creature, moving to pat it himself. Light noted how soft and warm the fire-type’s fur was, despite how chilly the room was overall. The Growlithe was certainly going to make a good cuddle buddy, she realized, as it snorted happily at the attention from its new trainer. Her Cinderance was certainly going to be a little jealous of the new fire type, but it would learn to love this Pokemon too. After all, the little guy had saved her life. She felt an instant connection to the little pup, just as she had the rest of her team. Light suddenly itched to start training with the Growlithe, for them to learn from each other and then groaned once she realized it was going to be a long time before she could get back into any of it.

“What’s wrong?” Raihan asked immediately, looking for any physical signs of discomfort. It warmed her, how attentive and sweet he was being.

Light laughed softly. “I was thinking about how long it was going to be before I could train with this little guy, or any of my Pokemon really.”

Raihan boomed with laughter. “You fall almost to your fucking death, break several bones and scare the life out of me, and your first thought is about when you can do Pokemon battles again? You’re fucking insane.”

“You like it,” she teased, laughing despite the pain it caused in her head.

“You’re damn right I do,” he laughed back before turning seriously to her. “How are you feeling by the way?” Raihan gently stroked her rose gold hair, careful not to touch any of the places on her that looked painful. 

“My head hurts. A lot,” she admitted honestly, closing her eyes in hope of relief from the pain. When it didn’t help, she turned her eyes back to Raihan’s aqua irises, happy to have him nearby. Not breaking her gaze, he pressed the nearby call button for her nurse. Normally, she would have argued, told him that she was fine and that she could handle it, but she suddenly found herself far more exhausted than she realized, now that she was comforted by the presence of her protector and her man. They hadn’t yet defined the terms of their relationship, she realized. Heck, they hadn’t even settled on whether they were exclusive, not that she was seeing anybody else. 

The nurse came in quickly, administering some pain medication before she drifted off to sleep.

Light had been asleep for two hours by the time Leon arrived back at her hospital room. A stricken look crossed his face, signaling that Light had been right the whole time.

“What did you see?” Raihan asked him quietly, crossing the room and leading his best friend out in the hallway so they wouldn’t wake the sleeping Light, or the Growlithe that finally rested at seeing its trainer was okay.

“A Rhyperior was Dynamaxed in the desert. Light must have been right- the Dynamax energy must have come from it. But how did it get Dynamaxed, and leave the den? The Wild Area has been safe for quite some time now.”

This news concerned Raihan. The Wild Area hadn’t seen any wild Dynamaxes since the incidents with Swordbert and Shielbert, who’d been confirmed to be in Wyndon that day and their assistant was confirmed to be with Sonia. It was unlikely to have been them, in other words. Was it possible the incident had happened on its own, by some freak of nature? Maybe Light’s Corviknight had brought such an intense wind that somehow a wishing star, or small wishing piece had been knocked into the Pokemon, or the den. For now, that was the explanation Raihan would go with, until he caught wind of anything other suspicious activity. He relayed his hypothesis to Leon, who’d been thinking the same thing. Both of the men hoped this was the case, rather than some other sinister reason. 

“I’ll check back on it every few hours,” Leon declared as he sat in the seat across from Light’s bed. He noted the Growlithe that now slept soundly next to her and laughed. “Can’t say I’m surprised by this,” he said, gesturing to the creature. “Guess it’s kind of hard not to feel that way about her.”

Raihan narrowed his eyes at Leon, who blushed at the realization of what he said, or at least the shock that he’d said it aloud. He couldn’t, however, argue with the logic; he’d been drawn to the rosy haired woman from the start too. She was very likely going to go down as Galar’s most easily loveable Champion, even more so than her predecessor, who’d been nearly unanimously popular. Saving the region, paired with her naturally sweet disposition was bound to do that for you. Though, Raihan would be damned if he let anyone else get even remotely near her. This was one thing he refused to compete on with his best friend. 

“You had your chance, Lee. You’ve had plenty of chances before now to go for it, and you didn’t.” His own words shocked even him; what was it about the situation that was making him so callous?

The other man didn’t argue, but hung his head. “I know…” he agreed. “I’m not going to back down on my promise. She’s my close friend, one of my best. Nothing more, nothing less. A little advice? Constantly being on the offensive is what’s going to push her away. Maybe even cost you your relationship someday down the line. Lashing out at anyone who so much as looks at her wrong isn’t going to sit well with her- you’ve seen how strong and capable she is of handling herself and making her own choices. All of Galar can see that; why can’t you?” Exasperated, the former champion got up and left the room. 

Raihan scowled after him, but knew his best friend meant well. And, as much as it pained Raihan to admit it, Leon was right. He knew he was being an ass, towards his best friend most of all. When Light was well enough and the danger from the Wild Area was clear, maybe he’d do something nice for the former champion: treat him to lunch, go fishing in the Wild Area, something to make up for the way he’d been treating him. He slumped further into his seat with a sigh, annoyed with himself yet again for how he’d been acting.

Sensing his distress, the Growlithe lifted its head to look at him. Carefully, it hopped off the bed, prodded quietly across the floor and lept into his lap, nuzzling the side of his face to comfort him. “Am I growing on you, buddy?” he chuckled, stroking its fur, eliciting a quiet, but happy snorting from the pup. Raihan couldn’t quite tell if the pup was just overly affectionate with humans in general, or if it was being particularly sweet to him because of his connection to its trainer. He decided to pass the time while Light slept searching the web for more about the Pokemon, but all that came up was that the breed of Pokemon was generally friendly and especially loyal. Still, Raihan decided he must have meant enough to the gentle, yet protective creature if it was willing to cease being by her side for even a moment. 

The pup then nuzzled the hand that held his Rotom phone, looking at him with expectant eyes. Raihan was taken aback; was this Pokemon really that intuitive? Was it telling him to make things right with Leon now, sensing what was bothering him?

Raihan:  
I’m sorry Lee, I shouldn’t have said that. I know neither of you would do something like that. Keep me posted on the Wild Area?

His eyes searched the pup, who turned its head back to Light, as if to tell him it was satisfied- for now. He felt his Rotom buzz.

Leon:  
No harm, no foul. It’s been a long few days. 

A wave of gratitude and relief washed over the dragon trainer. Leon truly was one of the best people he’d ever known, next to Light of course.

Raihan:  
Thanks man. I’m going to get some food, need anything?

Leon:  
I’m good for now, thanks though. I’ll do a quick sweep of the Wild Area and come by shortly. 

“You stay here, okay?” Raihan ordered the Growlithe as he stood up to go find the cafeteria. “I’ll be back with something for all of us to eat, so don’t go anywhere.” Not that the Pokemon would, it would take the entirety of Galar collapsing for the Pokemon to leave either him or Light at this point.  
The cafeteria wasn’t far from her room thankfully. There wasn’t much to choose from, though the fact that Hammerlocke hospital somehow sold fish tacos made him laugh. He thought about grabbing some for Light, in the name of their first date, but thought the better of it when he remembered the quality of hospital food, even in one of the richest towns in Galar. He opted for the safest bet, white-meat patties and burgers with fries. He wasn’t completely familiar with the condiments she liked, except for the fact that she went crazy for pickles, so he had the chef put the fresh vegetables to the side of the burger and grabbed condiment packets of everything else that she might want.

Raihan was a surprisingly picky eater; when it came to his burgers, he preferred to have only cheese, mustard and tomato, or even plain. He never dipped his fries or potato-based foods in any sauces. Even chips and salsa, or nacho cheese were iffy for him, and he wholly believed that soft pretzels were better with nothing but a little salt and butter to coat it. Light had scoffed at him the time they’d gone to see a theater show in Wyndon and he ate his plain, refusing to touch the assortment of frosting, cheese, and cinnamon sugar she’d compiled for her own. The memory made him smile, and he decided to order one for her as well, with the works of course. 

For Growlithe, Raihan ordered a few extra patties and burgers without the bread to tide him over until they could start feeding the creature a better diet of Light’s choosing. The pup, he’d discovered after searching online, preferred to eat carnivorously rather than herbivorous, though it would do either if needed. Light had a wide variety of Pokemon with a wide variety of appetites, so Raihan doubted this Pokemon would be a problem for her. 

Light was still asleep when he got back. Growlithe, not wanting to waken her, took a position on the seat Raihan had inhabited earlier. It happily switched places with him as he set down the plate full of food for the pup, claiming his earlier seat back for himself. He set Light’s food on the table next to her and dug into his own burger, realizing now how long it had been since he’d had a proper meal. He was looking forward to cooking his girl proper meals once she was well enough to leave the hospital. There was no doubt he was going to stay with her, if she wanted, while she recovered. With her condition, she would need someone to help her get around, or do most anything until her arm or leg healed. It wasn’t clear whether they’d go back to Wyndon, or stay at his castle here in Hammerlocke, though it would certainly be easier and safer travels just down the road than to have her take the train or a flying taxi in her condition. There was also the matter of Raihan having an extra bedroom, whereas her hotel suite in Wyndon did not. The two hadn’t even sat on a bed together, but less shared a bed overnight. 

She stirred just then, sniffing the air. “Do I smell food?” she asked in a soft, still sleepy voice. The sweetness of it all made his insides flutter. What he wouldn’t give to wake up to that voice every day for the next few weeks as she healed.

Raihan grinned, gesturing to the plate by her bedside. He helped her sit up. Light noticed that the pain in her head was substantially better than before her nap. “Thanks,” she said, taking in the array before laughing. “You remembered the pretzel? Will all of the toppings?”

It was his turn to laugh. “Of course I remembered. You have me quite the earful about eating mine plan! The cashier looked at me like I was high when I asked for all of the toppings.”

Light giggled, tearing the soft bread apart and dipping it into the sweet toppings first. The frosting was her favorite. Of course, she needed to eat real food, but the sweet gesture from Raihan had made her happy, wanting to eat the sentimental food first After that was finished, she laughed at the assortment of condiment packets and veggies set to the side. 

“I forgot exactly what you liked on your burger. You should probably look behind it, though,” Raihan said with a smile.

Her face lit up instantly. “Pickles?!? I can’t believe you remembered this too! We literally only ate burgers once. Well, I ate a burger anyway.” She munched on the plain vegetable happily, doing the adorable happy dance Raihan loved to see, though he’d never be able to get her to admit that she did it. This time, he was prepared, and snapped a quick video of the movement. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she saw him holding her phone, and the movement stopped. “Give it,” she demanded, knowing he’d snapped some embarrassing photo or clip of her. Light couldn’t help the blush that seeped into her face, knowing it made her seem far less menacing with her face pinker than her hair.

The dragon trainer grinned, showing her the clip of the happy dance. He finally had solid proof, once and for all that she did a happy food dance when she ate something she really liked. “Fine, but I win,” he teased, knowing she’d understand exactly to what he was referencing.

She grabbed the phone, staring at the clip. Raihan was right, she realized. The video showed a clip of her wiggling just the slightest as she dug into the pickles. Still, she couldn’t let him win completely. With a sly grin on her face, she pressed ‘delete’ on the video before handing the phone back to Raihan. Whose face fell when he saw what she’d done. “Oh, I’m so going to get you back with something even more embarrassing,” he threatened with a grin.

“Light doing something embarrassing? I want in on the secret,” a voice called from by the door. In the doorway stood Leon with his brother and Light’s best friend, Hop in tow. Both men walked towards the bed, looking at Raihan expectantly.

“I deleted the evidence, so you will absolutely never find out,” Light said decisively, glaring at Raihan as if to warn him of the terror that she’d wreak on his life if he breathed a word. Raihan chuckled, but didn’t say anything as she caught up with her friends, pecking at her food. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay! Lee told me everything,” Hop said, ducking in for a gentle hug. “I’m glad your Corviknight is okay too. I can’t believe there was a random Dynamaxing in the Wild Area again.”

Light looked up at him, confused. Wild Dynamaxing? 

Raihan squeezed her hand. “Sorry,” he mumbled quickly. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier. Lee checked out the Wild Area while you were asleep. Turns out you were right, there was a Dynamaxed Rhyperior running around the Dusty Bowl. We’re not sure if the wind from your Corviknight managed to knock a stray wishing piece into one of the dens in the area, or if something else is going on.”

“Sonia and I are going to see if there’s any other reason that could explain the random Dynamax that happened, if it wasn’t a random wishing piece that fell in. And Lee’s going to check out the den a little later to see if there’s a mass of Wishing Stars or pieces near there. Maybe they were dropped there by someone, or a big cluster fell from the sky and made the area a little more vulnerable. Whatever the reason, we’ll find it.” Hop said, excited about having found a role that he was comfortable with in a crisis. He no longer doubted himself when something came up; he was ready to hit the books, or knowledge he’d already obtained. Light smiled, truly happy for him. After the Championship Match, it appeared, everyone had gone through a period of their own self-doubt, and it had hit Hop pretty hard. He seemed so much more confident now that he’d found his own path, different from that of his older brother’s, but equally as important. 

“Thanks for checking it out you guys. And for believing in me.” She directed that last part towards Raihan, squeezing his hand in return. 

“Also mate, you, uh, should probably call your mom at some point. Lee and I filled her in on the way over. I told her she didn’t need to stop by and that Raihan was taking care of you. Not that I told her he was your boyfriend or anything, just that he happened to be here and taking care of you.,” Hop said, rambling awkwardly at the end.

Leon laughed. “Boyfriend, huh? Is that what he is?”

Light looked at Raihan uncomfortably. The two of them hadn’t exactly defined their relationship using so many words thus far. They’d been out on a few dates and texted constantly, but never really had a conversation about what their relationship was, per se. For all she knew, Raihan could have been dating and sleeping around while he stayed back in Hammerlocke the past week.

Raihan, on the other hand, started at the comment Leon made in surprise. He didn’t realize the purple haired male had been attentive enough to note that he’d never explicitly used the term ‘girlfriend’ around anyone, that they hadn’t had the conversation yet. Leon, who was once again a better friend than he ever gave him credit for, was giving him that chance now. He smiled at his best friend.

“Hell yeah, I’m her boyfriend, and I’m gunna take the best damned care of her Galar’s ever seen until she’s ready to kick your ass again.”

This made Light smile too. Raihan calling himself her boyfriend told her what she needed to know about their relationship…for now. “Can you guys give me a minute so I can call her? She’s probably worried sick.” She looked and Hop and Leon as she said this, beckoning her new boyfriend to stay. Her mom would likely want to meet the man watching over her, anyway. The two left and she dialed her Rotom phone. Raihan stayed out of sight from the video call, but still as close to her as he could be.

“Honey! I’m so glad you’re okay! What happened?” Her mom cried as soon as she picked up the phone. Over the video, Light could see that her mother’s face was fraught with worry. 

“A Pokemon Dynamaxed in the Wild Area and knocked me off of Corviknight,” she explained. “I was flying carefully, I promise. The Dynamax came out of nowhere and surprised us.”

“Hop said that the dragon-type Gym Leader saved you?”

Light smiled and tilted the camera so that Raihan was in view with her. The Growlithe, who had been laying contentedly on the floor, waddled over onto the man’s lap to be a part of the attention. “Yeah. He came to find me when he and Leon realized I hadn’t returned for a few hours. This little guy helped,” she patted the Growlithe as she said that last part, a proud smile appearing on the pup’s face. 

“Well, you were certainly lucky to have such good friends looking out for you. Is Raihan okay too?”

He smiled. “I’m just fine. My Flygon and I are used to that type of weather.”

Her mother, who’d also watched all of Raihan’s matches, laughed at this. “I suppose you are. Thank you for finding her and taking care of her the past few days. She’s lucky to have friends like you and Leon. Honey, why don’t you come home while you recover? It’s not like you can be in Wyndon all by yourself, and I’m sure your friends have other things to take care of during the day.”

This made Light frown. She hadn’t thought about her plans for recovery. It was obvious she would need someone to look after her with the state of her injuries. Naturally, she’d been picturing Raihan helping her, but her mother was right; Raihan couldn’t shirk his responsibilities during those few weeks. 

Raihan chimed in before she could deliberate. “With all due respect, ma’am, I may have a solution. Traveling the distance between here and Postwick would be unsafe in her condition, same as traveling to Wyndon. Neither air nor train travel would be a smart idea in her current state. My castle here in Hammerlocke has plenty of extra rooms for her to stay in. You’re right, though, that I wouldn’t be able to be with her at all times.” Raihan hated to admit as such, but his girlfriend’s mother was smart; she thought ahead. “Which is why I’d like to invite you to stay in one of the extra rooms in my castle, so you can be there whenever I’m not. I’d never want to ask you to not take care of your daughter after something like this.” The last sentiment he’d said was true; not having his own parents anymore gave him an appreciate of family relationships.

The older woman seemed slightly taken aback, surprised by the generous offer. “I wouldn’t want to be an imposition…” she said meekly, although Raihan could see in her expression that she knew he was right. Meanwhile, Light was looking at him both with curiosity and adoration. “Dear, you have some incredibly thoughtful friends, I’m so in debt to all of them for taking care of you.” her mother continued. 

“About that…” Light said feebly, looking at Raihan for confirmation, who nodded. “Raihan is actually…my boyfriend.”

Her mother studied Raihan over the phone, with a fresh set of eyes this time. The dragon trainer blushed, something he didn’t do very often, at the scrutiny. This was his first time meeting the parents of any girlfriend. In a more ideal world, he’d have gone all out, bringing her mum flowers and dressed to the nines. Unfortunately, the situation called for things to be different than he planned. Neither one of them could afford to be caught kissing with her mother staying there and making a poor first impression of their relationship on her. “Um, it’s new,” Light added weakly to break the silence. “It’s just been a few dates over the past weeks, and we hadn’t really defined anything until just recently. I didn’t even have the chance to tell you, what with the accident and all.”

Her mother’s features softened at this. Light could tell her mother’s main concern had been at the lack of transparency at the start. Her explanation was sufficient at easing that concern. Naturally, Light, who’d talked to her mom a few times before the accident but after her first date with Raihan, had mentioned that she was going on a few casual dates with someone. 

“Well,” her mother said finally. “It’s nice to meet you officially, Raihan. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better in your castle while we get Light all better. I’ll leave you two to it and start making dinner myself. Call me when she’s all settled in, and I’ll take the first train over to Hammerlocke.”

“Will do mom, love you.”

“Bye-bye sweetie.”

Both Light and Raihan breathed a sigh of relief when the phone screen turned to black. Raihan did what he’d been dying to do for days: plant a kiss on her sweet, full lips. Light kissed back happily, having missed the feeling herself. She silently cursed to herself that she couldn’t pull the man on top of her, she liked the feeling of him being close to her. Before the accident, they’d been getting a little more adventurous with their kisses, and Raihan’s hands had gotten a little more daring, but still respectful of her boundaries. She’d been just about ready to break down some of those boundaries too, which would now be impossible for at least the next few weeks. Light wrapped her right arm around his shoulders tightly. This would have to do, for now.


	9. Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit more fluff, and some light smut for all of us thirsty animals (;

Raihan’s castle was absolutely gorgeous, Light realized as her boyfriend pushed her wheelchair through the brightly-lit halls. When she could venture on her own, it was clear she would easily get lost in the palace, both intentionally and unintentionally. The library that they passed through was the most exciting to her; she was a secret bookworm. In the room sat a perfect little couch that she intended to curl up on, facing the window as she read for hours while Raihan was busy. Maybe she’d request for him to push her chair into the room and grab a book for her. Not maybe, definitely, she decided as she noted the sheer number of volumes, both fiction and nonfiction. 

“I like that room,” she said, smiling up at him.

He smiled in return. Raihan was yet again surprised. Another piece of the puzzle that was his new girlfriend fell into place: she liked to read. Raihan was an avid reader himself, though nobody in all of Galar knew that apart from Leon, who’d teased him about his collection. Not that Leon was inherently against reading, the man read when he needed to get some info on a strong Pokemon, or how to best train them, but the image of Raihan being a nerd didn’t exactly fit the persona he showed to the world. The persona which he intended to keep as a cool, collected dragon trainer that lived for battles and had a confident, bold exterior. Galar didn’t need to see his soft or nerdy side. Not all of the region, anyway. If nobody but Light realized his softer side, he’d be golden. “Me too,” he agreed, pushing her into her room. 

The room he brought her to was the guest bedroom that sat closest to his, and was the best spare room he had. This space was almost as big as his own room. Raihan had his staff redecorate the room with lighter-colored furniture and a pastel blue bedspread. A matching rug was splayed out on the floor, and a matching doggie-bed for Growlithe had been purchased. Although that last purchase may have been a complete waste, with how strongly the pup preferred to sleep next to its trainer. Still, the Pokemon bed may at least serve as a place for the pup to lounge when Light wasn’t around. Some clothes in her size was were easy to put on and remove were already packed into the drawers, purchased by his staff as well. 

“Rai, did you set this all up for me?” She asked, looking up at him in surprise.

He chuckled softly. “Sort of. I had my staff do it while you were still at the hospital. I had one made up for your mom too, though I didn’t know her tastes quite as well and didn’t know what Pokemon she’d be bringing. Speaking of tastes, my fridge is stocked with soft pretzels and, “ Raihan pretended to shudder, “frosting.”

Raihan helped Light into the king-size bed, thankful that this one was large enough for him to safely sit on her right side and pull her to him gently. She sighed contentedly against him, enjoying his warmth. Growlithe, who typically claimed her unbroken side, whined slightly and plopped down into the bed. 

“Oh hush,” she scolded him jokingly. “You’ll get your turn.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Raihan joked back, cupping her face with his hands and kissing her. Without having to awkwardly lean over the hospital bed to reach her, he could put much more force behind the movement, which he felt her happily return. With their busy schedules and her hospitalization, it had been far too long since he’d been able to properly kiss her. Every time he deepened the kiss, she met him back with full force, pressing herself as close to him as she could without hurting herself. Fuck, she was so perfect. 

His hands roamed her body, more careful than even usual not to touch anything off-limits or that would hurt, as he trailed his kisses down to her neck. She signed at the impact, moaning in pleasure ever so slightly at the impact, making him instantly hard. He wanted to hear more of that. He gripped her waist a little tighter, biting down on the skin of her neck just slightly, earning that sound and a surprised yelp from her. Raihan wanted nothing more than to leave his mark on her neck and all over her body. And he would have, if Light didn’t typically wear clothes that revealed a lot of skin around the areas he would leave a mark. If only he could sink his teeth into her inner thigh…

He sat up immediately, giving himself a little space to clear his head from the dirty thoughts than ran wild through him. With being at the hospital near-constantly the past several days, it had been awhile since he’d had a release of sorts, and she was driving him wild. 

Light flinched, surprised by his sudden movement. Raihan laughed darkly and shook his head. “Sorry,” he muttered, ashamed by his lack of control. “I just missed doing that. It’s a little hard to keep my hands appropriate when all I want to do is rearrange your insides.”

She flinched, and could feel herself blush. Raihan wasn’t usually so blunt about how hard it was to hold back from doing the things she wasn’t ready for yet. Her insides, her hormones certainly wanted it, but she herself wasn’t ready to take that step. Doubt began to cloud her mind. Was her boyfriend really okay with waiting?

Sensing her upset, Raihan stroked her hair, and her face gently. Why the fuck had he said that out loud? “Sorry, it’s not that I mind waiting, really, I don’t. I’ll wait as long as you need. It’s just   
that usually before we…yknow…I try to…uh, to keep myself calm…and-well, it’s been a few days since…” He felt like a blubbering idiot. Surely, he’d talked about jerking off before without being so indirect and awkward. Why was it so hard now?

Light felt her face turn a bright shade of red as she understood his meaning. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought about him in that way herself, before she’d been hospitalized. She wasn’t that innocent. In fact, she found it almost a little endearing that he’d taken steps to respect her boundaries. The doubts she’d had subsided, at least enough to steel her resolve. Taking his hand, he guided it under her shirt, up past her stomach, to places that he’d been careful not to touch. Raihan groaned at the feeling of her breast in his hand. Oh, how he’d been wanting to touch her like this, to feel the soft skin there. The bulge in his pants grew more uncomfortable as she released her hand from his own, leaving him to explore as her own hand explored the smooth muscles underneath his own shirt, making him shudder at the sensation. He’d been shirtless around her before, on their first date on the boat, but she hadn’t touched him in this way with her delicate, soft hands. There was a sense of urgency, a need that hadn’t been there before in her touch and her kisses. Raihan loved it; he craved more and more of it every second her skin met his. 

He noticed when her movements began to slow, a sleepy look drawing over her face. “Sorry,” she mumbled, her voice heavy with drowsiness and…something else that Raihan couldn’t put his finger on. It sounded like heat, arousal, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part. “I don’t know why I’m so tired, I’ve literally been asleep for most of the past few days.”

“Hey,” Raihan said back softly, “you hit your head pretty badly, your body is just trying to heal.” He got up from the bed carefully and walked over to the wardrobe that contained special nightgowns, all of which buttoned up in the front to avoid pulling fabric down over her arm. “I had my staff pick these up for you this afternoon. I’m not sure what you usually wear, but I hope they’re to your liking.”

Light blushed a deep shade of red. She wasn’t going to be able to get a nightgown on herself with one arm, especially if it required standing. Her mom, who wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow morning, could help her with the daily tasks she couldn’t do herself once she arrived. Suddenly, Light was kicking herself. She’d wanted an evening alone with Raihan, one moment of privacy before her mom arrived, and now she was realizing that had been a huge mistake. “Thanks Rai, I’ll be okay for the night,” she said feebly. The hospital had provided her with a pair of stiff scrub pants since her skirt no longer covered the areas it needed to with the cast in the way, and sent her home in her original top. The ensemble was far from comfortable, but what other choice did she have?

“I know it’s not the most fashionable, but you can’t tell me that it wouldn’t be more comfortable than your shirt, which is literally stained in dirt. It might still even have sand in it. There’s no way I’m letting you sleep in that. We can order some prettier ones online tomorrow if you want.” Raihan said, doing his best not to pout. He wasn’t exactly a fashion expert, but he   
thought he’d done a fair enough job in picking out the piece based on what he knew she liked. He’d been confident that his girlfriend would at least be more comfortable than she clothes she’d come home in.

“I-it’s not that,” she said, blushing an even deeper shade of pink. “It’s really pretty, and I appreciate you buying it for me even that much, especially being mindful of my casts and all. Um, it’s just that I can’t get it on. By myself I mean. I don’t know if I can get it over my cast with one hand, much less do the buttons and lift myself up enough to get it below my waist. My mom can help me once she gets here tomorrow”

It was Raihan’s turn to blush, feeling stupid for how offended he’d felt a second ago at her not liking the design. That seemed so trivial now in comparison. Still, he didn’t want her sleeping in her dirty clothes. Besides her comfort, he was sure that the sand and dirt would ruin the sheets she slept on. Not that he minded terribly; he’d gotten then specifically for her after all, but he also didn’t want her to come to bed every night to a set of dirty sheets. “I could get one of my staff to help you,” he offered, unsure if offering his own help would be inappropriate 

“No,” she insisted, firmer than before. The last thing she wanted was a set of stranger’s eyes on her, seeing her virtually naked. Here both of them were, skirting around the most obvious solution. She could see if her mom could catch a late-night train up to Hammerlocke, though it would still be several hours before she even arrived. Not that she thought Raihan would mind keeping her company, although she certainly was tired enough to fall asleep before then.

The dragon trainer sighed, finally giving in. “Light…would you like me to help you? I promise I’ll do my best not to look.”

Sighing, she gave in as well. “Fine, but if you look for even a second longer than you have to, I’m sicking him on you,” she jokingly threatened, pointing to the Growlithe that slept soundly in the corner.

Her joke worked to clear the awkward tension, the Gym leader laughed as he picked her up with surprising ease from the bed, careful not to put any of his weight behind her damaged limbs. He sat her down at the edge of the bed, her bottom barely holding her weight as he worked to undo the drawstrings of the scrub pants. Raihan quickly moved to stare at Growlithe as he found the waistband of the pants. “Careful with the cast,” he heard her say, and cursed silently to himself. He was going to have to look at her to make sure he didn’t move her leg. The curse almost escaped his lips entirely when he saw the underwear beneath them, pink and lacy, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. He put all of his focus on the leg with the cast, careful not to glimpse up again to her hips as he worked. When all of the fabric was removed, he moved quickly to her shirt, again careful to keep his eyes away from her hips. 

The shirt proved to be a much more difficult task. Although it was a crop, which meant much less fabric, the piece was skin-tight, and would clearly be hard to get over her cast. The shirt,   
which he could barely make out over the bloodstains, was her beloved Champion shirt, the one she wore practically everywhere she went. “What are the odds you have an extra of this shirt?” he asked her.

“None,” she said with confusion, turning her wide green eyes to him. “But do what you’ve got to. I can get another custom made another time.”

Raihan nodded, rummaging through his pockets for a pocketknife, which he found with relative ease; he always carried one with him in case his Flygon saw a bundle of berries, or some plant it wanted to eat. The fabric tore with ease under the pressure of the knife, quickly exposing the chest he’d been touching just minutes ago. His cheeks flushed pink as he moved quickly to cut open the sleeve on the side of her cast. Once that was cut, the shirt slid cleanly off her good arm, leaving her in just her underwear and bra. He grabbed immediately for the nightgown, shifting to place it over her arm.

A quiet clear of her throat stopped him. Her face, he noticed, was once again a deep shade of red. “I, um, need this off too,” she said quietly, gesturing to the bra. Raihan fought back a groan. This was going to be the death of him, he thought. The thought that she’d need that removed too had never crossed his mind. He’d had next to none of his female companions spend the night with him, and those that did he asked to stay in his guest bedroom, making up some excuse about an early day at the gym. Stiffly, he undid the clasp, looking solely at her left arm as he slid off the undergarment and tossed it aside without a glance. Still holding the nightgown from earlier, he slid the fabric over her arms, sighing when he remembered there were buttons on the damned thing. 

“I need to look to do the buttons,” he said, flustered as he kept his eyes once again on the Growlithe in the corner. 

Light rolled her eyes. It was cute how seriously he was taking his promise not to look at her. She’d noticed the widening of his eyes and the pink glow that filled his cheeks when he accidentally got a glimpse of her underwear, and the way his breath hitched when the first slice into her shirt had revealed her chest. His complete and utter respect for her body only made her want him more. She gently held his chin in her hand, moving his face so her eyes could meet his. “It’s okay, I want you to” she whispered, shifting forward so she could kiss him. She used her free hand to pull him close to her. He shivered at the touch, feeling her bare breasts, mostly uncovered by the nightgown, press into his chest. He broke the kiss to look down and help her cover up. Fuck, was she beautiful. Raihan was positive that she was the most exquisite thing he’d ever seen. Every inch of her was flawless, in his eyes. Although, the scrapes and bruises from the other day, which signaled the pain she’d had to endure, he could do without. 

Once each button was carefully fastened, he lifted her by the waist, allowing the fabric to fall just above her knees. He’d certainly picked the right color, the particular shade of the pastel sea green complimented her fair skin tone perfectly. And, of course, matched her eyes. Raihan   
wanted ravage her right then and there, cursing silently to himself for the impure thoughts, which he’d had so many of that night. Though, when he looked in her eyes, the heat in them told him he wasn’t the only one having those types of thoughts. The realization made him grin. And although he’d of course wait for anything until she was ready, it was satisfying to know she was as eager for him as he was for her in that moment. 

“Will you…stay with me tonight?’ Light asked once Raihan had placed her back in her original position on the bed. Sitting in his bed, her hair loosely curled around her shoulders, she reminded him of a princess, and he the commoner she kept hidden away from her family.

Raihan winced at the question. Despite having been with several women, he’d actually never spent the night in the same bed as anyone else. His door remained locked to even his staff as he slept at night, not letting anyone in at his most vulnerable state. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for that with Light, despite how deeply he cared for her. She had her own limitations; surely he could have his. He shook his head, gesturing to her left side. “I’m afraid of hurting you in my sleep, Princess. I toss and turn quite a bit.” He hoped silently to himself that the testing out of the new nickname, along with the reasoning of not wanting to hurt her (which, of course was actually part of his reasoning), would be sufficient.

She took the bait. “Princess?” Light laughed at the nickname. A princess was the last thing she felt like currently, as beaten and battered as her body was. 

“My princess,” Raihan corrected, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before getting up. “I’m going to spoil and dote on you every chance I get this week, remember?”

She pouted at his leaving. “I’m scared to see what spoiling looks like from you, Rai,” she teased. 

“Oh just you wait. Hey Growlithe, she’s all yours now,” he added as he made it to the door. The pup hopped up without hesitation, gingerly jumping onto the right side of the bed as the two exchanged their goodnights. 

Light’s mom had arrived the next day. The three of them coexisted in Raihan’s castle for the next two and a half months before Light could begin to move by herself. Leon and Hop visited regularly, with a few drop-by visits from the other Gym Leaders on occasion, mainly Nessa. Light’s mom had grown to love Raihan, and he thoroughly enjoyed teaming up with her to tease Light, as well as learn more about his girlfriend over meals while Light slept. 

He learned about some of her early adventures with Hop, how they’d constantly wrestle and pretend to battle with the nearby farm’s Wooloo. Though, naturally since neither trainer owned the sheep-like Pokemon, they hadn’t listened to either young trainer. He learned about the way she’d feed her mum’s Munchlax treats every day and then take it for walks to prevent it from being too big as a Snorlax that her mom couldn’t move it if she decided to ever evolve the Pokemon. Young Light had worried that her mom would someday be trapped in her room or trapped in a place where she couldn’t go get snacks if it ever got too big. He learned that her mother was a large fan of Leon’s, watching the older woman warm instantly to the former champion. 

“She always been like that,” Light had explained to him one afternoon that her mother was particularly chatty with Leon, leaving the two of them to their own devices for a moment. “Her and his mom were always close, both being single mothers and all. Mum was always excited to see him make something of himself. And when I became a trainer, I think she relied on him to   
take care of all the big, bad things she didn’t want me getting involved with. Not that it changed anything for me. I think she’s finally beginning to see that I can handle my own messes. Or she was, until I went and fell off of Corviknight”

Raihan had also learned another important piece of information from her mom. Before her dad had died, whenever Light had a bad day, a bad dream, or even if something were weighing heavy on her mind, she’d ask her dad to stay with her until she fell back asleep. After her dad died, she’d rely on her mum’s Munchlax and Budew for comfort. She’d never disclose the specific anxieties that plagued her, only that she wanted the physical comfort. That very same day, guilty about the way he’d rejected her request for him to stay, he ordered his staff to have his bed put into her room. Both of the trainers were surprised at how soundly they slept in the company of the other. Raihan still wasn’t willing to share the bed though, at this point mainly due to his fear of actually hurting her. It hadn’t been a complete lie when he said he moved around in his sleep. What he hadn’t mentioned, and was thankful hadn’t yet returned as he slept in the same room, was the night terrors he had semi-regularly. 

When Light was well enough to hobble on crutches and had enough movement in her left arm to complete her everyday tasks and move around, her mom left for Postwick, leaving Light in his care. It wasn’t until then that the dragon type leader decided to fill her in on what he and Leon had been keeping from her, talking in private so that she wouldn’t have to worry as she recovered.

“There’s what?” She screeched, her eyes darting to him with rage at not informing her sooner. 

“I’m sorry Princess, I really did want to tell you. We just thought that it would be better for you to heal up before you had to worry about the Pokemon Dynamaxing in the Wild Area.”

The day after they’d settled into Hammerlocke castle, Leon and Hop had visited with the news that the Dynamaxed Rhyperior apparently wasn’t an isolated incident. They began appearing more frequently over the past few weeks, multiple Dynamaxes starting to happen daily. Thankfully, Sonia lent Raihan a power spot detector, or whatever she’d called it, so that he could go out and stop the Pokemon before things got too serious. Leon helped, opting to stay at the Budew Drop Inn in Motosoke in case any Dynamaxes happened on that half of the Wild Area. Hop, being in Wedgehurst constantly, kept his eye out for any Dynamaxes close to the Meetup Spot of the Wild Area, For the time being, it was an easy problem to manage, one that didn’t require the injured Champion of Galar putting herself at any more risk and danger. 

“I get why you didn’t want me helping, but just tell me next time, both of you,” she snapped, glaring at Raihan and the former Champion, who sat next to him at the table in the library. Light turned her angry attention back to the book she was reading, Sonia’s dissertation, as if to dismiss the men from the room. She knew she’d forgive them both, but she didn’t like being left out of the loop, especially when it came to dangers that Galar was currently potentially facing.

Raihan apologized again swiftly, kissing her on the top of the head before he ducked out with his best friend to go take care of the Pokemon that had just Dynamaxed, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Light had really come to trust Raihan in the past few months. He’d kept his promise, doting on her every free moment he had, all while receiving barely so much as a kiss, what with her mum present and all. They’d had a lot of time to talk and connect, becoming best friends in their own rights. Yet, she could still sense there was a lot he was holding back, keeping from her. The Dynamaxed Pokemon, while a rather large deal, was only a part of the issue. She’d sensed his hesitation the first night she’d asked him to stay, as he pulled his bed into her room, but refused to share her own bed, and the only partial answer she’d receive in reply when she asked how he was doing each day. 

Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to be able to trust him completely, to finally be with him in all the ways her mind had wandered to each time he kissed her. But she knew that wasn’t going to be possible until he could open up to her. She sighed, casting the thought aside as she continued reading Sonia’s dissertation on the Darkest Day, reading for any clues that could point to what was happening now. Besides a random chance of several wishing pieces and stars falling into dens randomly, which was unlikely, or someone deliberately forcing Pokemon to Dynamax, as Swordbert and Shielbert had done, nothing stood out to her. 

Frustrated, Light slammed the book shut, hobbling to the kitchen. A soft pretzel wouldn’t help her solve the problem, but it also wouldn’t hurt the situation, or her stomach that was suddenly growling. As the soft bread warmed in the microwave, she heard footsteps approach. “That was fast,” she remarked. Even for the former champion and the strongest Gym Leader, that had to be a record Dynamax takedown. 

From behind, a hand closed forcibly over her mouth. The skin was pale, almost translucent, and certainly didn’t belong to either of the men she’d been expecting. “I didn’t want to do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures,” a voice hissed in her ear, one she recognized as Oleana, Rose’s former assistant. She was the one who’d tried desperately to stop her and Hop from reaching the chairman the night before the Darkest Day, and had been searching everywhere for the man since he’d disappeared. A gag was tied around her mouth as her arms, too weak to fight back were tied behind her. A blindfold covered her eyes as a new set of hands carried her away, gentle with her arms and legs; they knew exactly what had happened to her. The last thing she could recall of the Hammerlocke castle was the sound of Growlithe barking before she was forced into a vehicle, which sped off immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit, things are about to get real next chapter


	10. In the Cold Light of Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we know Oleana is back, looking for something. She'd been watching Light's every move since the Dynamax, waiting for a moment that she was left alone in Hammerlocke castle

Raihan knew something was wrong the second he arrived home. Even without the Growlithe’s constant barking, the uneaten soft pretzel that lingered in the microwave would have tipped him off. He couldn’t even get her to share a bite, much less leave one in the microwave unattended. He called for Leon, who’d been preparing Charizard for a flight back to Wyndon to take care of a few things.

The purple haired male started at the urgent tone in Raihan’s voice. “What’s wrong?” he asked immediately. 

“Light’s gone!” he cried, the Growlithe still barking, as if to show further proof of her absence. 

“Shit.” It wasn’t often that Leon swore, and Raihan duly noted the concerned expression on his best friend’s face, but was too worried about his girlfriend to care. Leon’s feelings might actually work to the benefit of finding her at this moment, something he wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of. The two of them got to work, calling everyone they knew in the region of Galar to help search for their Champion. 

“Lee, you get Hop to talk to his Zama-whatever and see if it can’t help track down Zacian. I’m going to check Hammerlocke stadium in case it’s related to the Dynamaxing and Eternatus.”

The other man nodded in understanding, dialing Hop on his Rotom phone as he sped off with Charizard, keeping the Pokemon low to the ground as he disappeared behind Raihan, who was sprinting towards the stadium. He hoped, probably in vain that whoever had captured her was moronic enough to take her to the same place everyone who’d hoped to force Dynamaxing had done, impossibly close to his own home. It was unlikely, but at least a start in his search. 

Beneath the stadium, the powerplant was empty, although he’d been expecting as much. Not a trace had changed since the last time he’d been down here with Swordbert and Shielbert. To his dismay, the rooftop of the building told the same story. Panicked, he wondered where else someone would have taken her to. 

Wyndon, he thought. Currently, none of the Gym Leaders, nor Leon would be there. This would have been the perfect chance for anyone trying to do evil in the city. 

Raihan:  
Not here. Going to check Wyndon.

Leon:  
Fly safe. I’ll keep you posted if we find Zacian.

Raihan released his Flygon. “We need to go as fast as you possibly can, Light’s in danger again” he ordered the gentle dragon, hopping on immediately. The dragon snorted, lifting quickly off the ground. He wondered if his Flygon was getting tired of saving Light and everyone else around him. Too bad, he thought to himself. As long as Light was alive, he’d spend every waking moment protecting his champion, his princess, as he liked to call her as of lately. Flygon kept low to the ground so that Raihan could keep his eye out for any suspicious activity. With just   
him on his back, the dragon dared to go a little faster than usual. If it were any other day, any other situation, Raihan would have enjoyed the feeling of his dragon reaching new heights. Today, he regretted the circumstances which caused the breakthrough. They reached the stadium in record time, swooping immediately to get a look at the pitch. Still nothing.

“Damn it Light, where are you?” Raihan cried to the empty stadium, his voice echoing in his solitude. He felt so powerless, so alone. Ever since he’d first kissed her, this was one of the recurring night terrors that had plagued him, only this time it wasn’t a dream. Something had happened to the girl he loved, and he could do absolutely nothing to help her. Frantically, he climbed back onto Flygon, heading to the top of Rose Tower. He’d peer through the glass to see if any commotion was occurring at the top of the Dynamax-capable top floor. 

Again, no such sight occurred. The panic seeped into his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. His partner Pokemon rushed towards the ground, providing him a lower altitude with which to catch his breath. It didn’t help much as the pain in his chest grew, his breaths becoming more frantic and heavier with each intake. He was about to have a panic attack, right in front of the Rose Tower. It had been years since Raihan had had this extreme of an anxiety attack, his spurts usually only manifesting in his dreams. 

“Hey man, are you okay?” Asked a voice. Raihan could see a head of pink hair, though not rose-gold, like Light’s hair. This color was more of a bubblegum pink. She, like him wore a Gym Leader’s outfit- hers the color of poison. He recognized the girl as Klara, the poison-type Gym Leader from the Isle of Armor. 

He shook his head. “Light’s missing,” he explained between pants. Klara had begun leading him to a nearby bench to sit and calm him down. 

“We’ll find her,” the girl said confidently. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from her, it’s that the girl is crazy-strong. Even I’m afraid of her sometimes. But first thing’s first, you’ve gotta calm down. You’re not going to find her like that.” she gestured to his state of panic. He glared at her. He didn’t like the way she said it, but she was right. “You focus on your breathing, I’m going to make a few calls. Maybe they took her to the Island of Armor. Mustard can help.”

Raihan did as she said, focusing on taking slow, even breaths until his heartrate and breathing returned to normal. As the other girl spoke quietly into her Rotom, his own rang.

“Leon. What’s the word?” He asked immediately as he picked up. 

“We couldn’t find Zacian, but Sonia’s at the Crown Tundra right now and is sensing a massive power spot at the old, abandoned castle. Hop and I are on our way right now. You should bring anyone you can. I’m not sure what’s happening, but I don’t like the looks of it. We’re going to need all the help we can get. I’ll see you when you get here.”

Klara happened to be getting off her phone as soon as Raihan’s call ended. “Are you up for an adventure?” he asked her before she could speak. 

“Always,” she answered, holding up her signature peace sign. 

Flygon whimpered softly at its trainer, nudging his head with its own. His partner was tired after the long, and exceptionally fast journey from Hammerlocke. Raihan returned the gentle creature to its Pokeball. “I’ll make sure you get lots of rest and treats later buddy,” he said gently. Caring for his own Pokemon had calmed him, and steeled his reserve, hailing a flying taxi. 

Light woke to feel the bitter cold biting at her arms and legs, a hard, cold surface contacted her back and rear as she sat, tied up against a wall. The blindfold was still over her eyes, but she could tell by the distant cries of Amauras that she was in the Crown Tundra, though she couldn’t be sure where in the Tundra yet. The sound of shoes clanking on the stony surface had her believing it was the castle at the top of the mountain, which had been one of her favorite places when she’d visited here. Voices hissed from around her.

“If I can’t find him, maybe I can make him come to me,” Oleana’s voice hissed. “I know he’s here somewhere on this Arceus-forsaken island. 

Recognition clicked for her at that moment. Oleana had caused the Dynamaxes, and had kidnapped her to get the attention of the former chairman, who’d gone into hiding since the Darkest Day. The footsteps of her heels clanked closer and closer to Light until her set of pointily-manicured hands ripped the blindfold from her eyes, scraping the skin of Light’s right cheek as she did so. The gag was removed slightly more delicately, but only just enough to not scratch her face again. “Where’s Calyrex, the King of the Crown Tundra?” Oleana demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Light said defensively. The Pokemon had trusted her, joined her on her journey. The last thing she wanted was to betray its trust. 

“Save it, I’ve already talked to the locals. They all told me about you saving their town and the spirit of the King of the Tundra, how they owe you their livelihood, blah, blah, blah. They also told me you were with some man who looked like the chairman, so you’d better tell me why he was here with you.”

Light laughed coldly. “That wasn’t your chairman. It was his brother.”

Oleana’s hand slapped across her face, leaving the skin hot where she’d struck. “Don’t lie to me!” She spat. 

“If you unhanded me, I could show you his ID card,” Light said bitterly, although she knew the older woman wasn’t going to fall for it. 

It was Oleana’s turn to laugh. She released her Salazzle, who eyed Light hungrily. “If you won’t tell me… maybe I can get you to tell him. Do your worst, Salazzle.”

The lizard-like Pokemon crept towards her, and Light could see the venom in the Pokemon’s mouth. The first drop of the Pokemon’s poison, scorching hot from the fire type’s hot disposition, seeped onto her leg through her leggings. She screamed as the poison contacted her skin, burning from the heat and the toxicity of the liquid. Another drip, just above the first one began the whole process all over again. Her screams echoed around the walls of the castle. This place was abandoned. Not even the regulars ventured up here. It was a place she’d come on her journey to think and reflect when she needed to escape people. Even Peony, the chairman’s brother and her expedition partner, had never ventured up that far. Her screams would echo for miles, yet no one would hear a sound. Still, she couldn’t, she wouldn’t let Oleana take Calyrex from her. She couldn’t let them torture the Legendary creature that had chosen her the way they were torturing her now. Light tried her best to avoid any drop of poison that seeped from the Pokemon’s mouth, but it was no use. She was tied up and bound to restrict her movement. Another scream escaped her as the slow drips of poison reached her upper thigh. 

From within her bag, a Pokeball opened, and Light’s greatest fears had come to life. Astride on its partner, Glastrier, Calyrex was now free from the Pokeball within her bag. The Pokemon seized control of one of Oleana’s henchmen. “I’m sorry, Light, I could not bear to hear your suffering any longer.” The Pokemon said through the human.

Oleana gasped, backing up slightly as she watched the scene unfold. Light realized that she hadn’t been completely confident in her belief in Calyrex, and cursed silently to herself. If she could have taken the pain just slightly longer, would Oleana have called off the torture? The older woman threw a handful of wishing pieces at the Pokemon, causing Glastrier to rear onto its hind legs in fear. As it stepped back, it landed on a wishing piece, crushing it and beginning a series of red glowing from the wishing pieces that had fallen to the ground. Calyrex lost control of the human it had been controlling as it grew in size. Glastrier itself now stood taller than the castle, with Calyrex, atop its steed, towering over the region. Very few places within the castle that weren’t occupied by Glastrier’s hooves remained. Even Oleana’s face froze as she saw the massive Pokemon. Salazzle ran to hide behind its trainer, who returned it to the Pokeball. Calyrex’s cries were lower in pitch, roaring throughout the region. Even the residents back in Freezington would likely be able to hear the sound.

“What were you thinking?” Light cried at the older woman, who stared in shock at what she’d done. The Dynamaxed Pokemon, having lost control of it’s senses, screeched wildly, beginning to stomp around. “Please untie me, we need help,” she begged. 

To her surprise, the other woman freed her immediately. “I just wanted to find Rose,” she said, her voice defeated. Light would have felt sorry for her if it weren’t for the danger she’d caused. Oleana helped her to her feet, her legs wobbling unsteadily, numb from the cold and still damaged from the break.

It was then that Leon and Hop arrived, leaping off of Charizard as they gaped at the large creature in front of them. Light’s heart lurched at the sight of her friends. Leon ran to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Are you okay? I heard you scream,” he said frantically, searching her for signs of injury.

“No,” she answered honestly. “But I will be.” He supported her weight as she released her Dragapult, who was well-versed in training with dark-type Pokemon, which would put it at an advantage over Calyrex. Leon followed suit, releasing his own. He kept his arm firmly around her waist, keeping her upright as they commanded their Pokemon. Hop released his Cramorant, the three of them using small, but mighty Pokemon to keep Calyrex at bay. The Legendary King appeared to be fighting with its own desires: on one hand, wanting to protect its human partner, and on the other, fighting with the beastly nature of the Dynamax, its primal urges to destroy and rampage. For now, it gave the trainers time to subdue the Pokemon. 

“Get off your ass and help us fight this thing,” Light heard Leon growl at Oleana. “You caused this mess; help us fix it.” She’d never heard the former champion say something so harsh. It made her pause for a moment. Her pause was long enough for Glastier to take advantage of, its foot beginning to move towards her. The giant Pokemon was about to crush her and Leon.

Two sets of arms tackled the champion and former champion, knocking them to the ground, just barely out of the way in time for the hoof to hit solid pavement, rather than their bodies. Light cried out as her legs made contact with the pavement, both from the areas where she’d contacted the Salazzle’s poison, and the leg that had been broken. She could tell nothing had broken in the fall, but the impact was still enough to cause serious pain. Her Dragapult started, dodging Glastier’s bites as it flew over to its trainer, eyes filled with concern. The ghostly dragon nudged her gently, whimpering softly at its trainer’s pain. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Raihan’s voice said. She felt his arms go around her waist, picking her up gently as he moved to embrace her. “I’m so glad you’re alive.” His heart was beating frantically, when he heard the sounds of the Pokemon’s roar all the way from the Slippery Slope, he’d been sure she’d be worse off than she was now. 

“Hey Light, I’m glad you’re not dead and all, but do you think you could get your boyfriend to help out here?” Klara asked, straightening up and releasing her Slowking, despite the disadvantage she’d be at against the psychic-type king. 

Raihan glared at the other girl. He’d had to face the possibility of losing the thing that meant the most to him. How dare she interrupt his brief moment of relief, even if she was right. He   
released his Flygon, sending the Pokemon up to attack from above with the rest of the Pokemon that had been released. He claimed the spot Leon had been in just moments ago, keeping Light upright as they battled the beast. Raihan looked around, noticing that the woman responsible for the mess, as well as her henchmen, had disappeared. Fucking cowards, he thought. 

The five trainers fought together, working to make headway on Calyrex. Even with the five of them, Calyrex’s steed, Glastrier, made for a tough and wild opponenet, despite the somewhat sentient being that rode atop it. The Pokemon was losing its control, gradually getting wilder by the moment. It didn’t take a Pokemon expert to know how catastrophic it would be if the King lost its last ounce of control, letting the beast take over. It had to be stopped before then. The walls of the castle began crashing down as the steed thrashed about, knocking into the interior of the building. 

I’m sorry, I can’t hold on much longer. Please, stop us before we do anything I will one day come to regret, Light heard Calyrex’s voice echo in her head. She nodded up at him in understanding. “Attack the steed,” she commanded everyone and their Pokemon. Sensing her urgency, they all listened, following her direct command. She only hoped it would be enough. 

Seeing who had commanded the attack on it, Glastier turned its eyes to bore right at the Champion, its strength beginning to diminish with the constant assaults on its body from the other Pokemon. It reared its head back, preparing an icy blast within its mouth, aimed straight for Light. With the giant Pokemon within her way, and debris from the walls on either side of her, there was nowhere for Light. Glastier was a smart Pokemon; it was aware of this the entire time, she realized. Its actions had been to corner her the entire time. Only now, Raihan and Leon stood within range of where the blast would hit. The blast grew more powerful, nothing the other Pokemon did stopped the energy from growing. 

“No!” Light heard either Leon or Raihan, possibly both, yell as the beam fired. The light radiating from the icy beam made it almost impossible to see. With the last seconds before the beam would impact, she could see both men rush to stand in front of her, as if to shield her from the blow. That was when everything went white.

A few moments passed as the light and dust from the beam settled. The icy blast had used up the remainder of Glastier’s energy; the Pokemon was no longer Dynamaxed. Though her eyes couldn’t see, Light’s hands searched frantically for the men that had tried to protect her, finding two figured not far in front of her. She could feel the rise and fall of their breathing below her hands. At the very least, they were alive. As the dust cleared and they came into view, she could see that, beyond a few minor cuts and scratches, both men appeared to be completely fine. But how did they survive the blast unscathed?

“No!” It was her turn to scream, as she saw the limp, pale form of Calyrex in front of them. The Legendary King had sacrificed itself to save Light and her companions. At her scream, the others in the cave sat up, looking to where she had made the sound. Glastrier, no longer Dynamaxed, strode over to them, whining softly as it pressed its nuzzle to its lifeless master. 

Leon put an ear to the Pokemon’s chest, his fingers under the nose of the Pokemon. “It’s alive,” he confirmed. “But just barely. You need to get it to someone who can heal it-and fast.” He took out a bottle of hyper potion, handing to bottle to her. “Here, this should allow Calyrex to make it to Freezington, at least.”

She nodded, grabbing hold of Glastrier’s reigns. The steed stepped back hesitantly, but allowed the movements, feeling remorse for the role it had played in the destruction of its home and master. The Pokemon, who was usually exceptionall cold and callous, was being surprisingly warm and helpful at the current moment. Raihan stepped forward as Leon helped her mount the steed, but she shook her head. “I need to go alone. Any more passengers would slow down Glastrier, and we need to hurry. You guys can meet us there when you get back.”

Raihan nodded in understanding, stepping forward to kiss her briefly before she went. “I love you,” he whispered. It wasn’t the most ideal timing, but he couldn’t go another second, another goodbye not knowing what would happen to her, without saying it. 

“I love you too,” she whispered against his lips, and took off on her steed, dashing down the mountainside towards the village. The snow felt like needles on her face as Glastrier ran at faster speeds than she’d even flown before. She was astonished by how gracefully the Pokemon maneuvered obstacles, not crashing into a single tree or other Pokemon, even at its intense speed. 

They reached the village in no time, rushing straight to the mayor’s house. He’d generously helped her last time the King of the Tundra was in trouble, and she would need to rely on him again. 

Hearing the commotion, the mayor met her outside before she had the chance to knock. Light handed him the wounded Pokemon, sliding carefully off her horse, making sure to catch most of her weight on her right side. The steed used its strong head to steady her as she wobbled, almost falling over. “I need you to help me heal him, please,” she asked of the mayor as they and the Pokemon walked inside. 

“What happened, child?” the kind man asked as he worked, crafting medicine from the herbs he had available. “I could hear its cries from all the way down here.”

Light recalled the prior events, how Oleana had captured her and forced the Pokemon to Dynamax, all in search of Rose, who she’d caught incorrect rumors of being in the Tundra. She recounted how Calyrex had, with its last ounce of control, jumped in front of Light and the other trainers to save them.   
The mayor was silent, thoughtful as he worked and considered her story. She noticed as he put a good number of spicy-flavored berries, and berries that provided a warm, fuzzy feeling inside into the mixture after hearing of the icy charge that Glastrier had sent her way. “Would you like some hot cocoa, child?” he asked her kindly as the ingredients simmered on the stovetop.

She suddenly remembered the way the cold castle had numbed her entire body, freezing her to the bone. “Yes please,” she accepted gratefully as he passed her a mug that was warm to the touch, almost burning her fingers as she held it. Light fed Glastrier whatever vegetables she could find in her bag as a ‘thank you’ for being so patient, cooped up inside a home, and for allowing her to ride him.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of Glastrier allowing a human to ride him. Even Calyrex had to put up a fight to allow him to sit upon the beast. You must have done something of a number on that Pokemon. Once again, you’ve saved the Crown Tundra, and our King. Freezington will always welcome you, child,” the mayor said, spooning the medicine into a dish and coming to sit beside her. He handed Light the bowl and spoon. “You should be the one to heal him.”

Carefully, so as not to spill any of the precious liquid, Light tilted the liquid onto the spoon and held it to Calyrex’s lips, who accepted the medicine even in its unconscious state. She noticed as more and more color came back to the Pokemon’s face, it’s breathing livening with each spoonful until the liquid was gone and the Pokemon could stand up and float once more. Its eyes widened in shock as it took in the sight of its partner, standing calmly inside the small hut. As he mounted his steed, he beckoned for Light to follow him.

“Thank you so much, once again,” she said to the mayor, who waved her off with a smile as she followed the Pokemon to the alcove she’d met him in many months ago.

Thank you, child. Calyrex’s voice filled her head as she reached him. Light stroked the mane of the wild steed, and patted Calyrex’s head gently. Both Pokemon looked absolutely content at her touch. Once again, you have saved me and reunited me with my steed. It appears Glastrier will remain loyal to you for the rest of your human existence. 

The words and actions of the Pokemon filled her eyes with tears. She loved them both dearly, with their personalities that differed so greatly, yet managed to work together. Which made what she had to say even harder. “Calyrex, Glastrier, I’m going to release you from my control. I can’t begin to thank you for sharing in my journey, and I’m honored you chose me to be your human companion. But today has proven that anything that happens to me could also happen to you. I can’t let that happen again, not with how badly you’re needed here in the Tundra, for the crops to grow and the villagers to survive. Your place is here, I realize that now.”

Disappointment was evident in the features of both Pokemon, but Calyrex nodded in understanding. Thank you, Light. You truly are the most selfless human I have ever encountered, and I will miss being by your side. Please visit the castle often, where I will await your returns.

She hugged the Pokemon, her tears spilling over into sobs as she watched her former companion stride off, disappearing into the world of snow. Light didn’t turn around as she heard the flap of wings and feet land softly into the snow. She didn’t have to turn around to know that the strong arms that enveloped her were Raihan’s, holding her as she cried for the loss of a great partner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, I almost cried writing this scene XD   
> I always felt odd at catching Calyrex in-game, I felt like his place was in the Tundra, rather than with a trainer, maybe that's just me lol. 
> 
> Also awwww, Raihan's first "I love you," to someone in a romantic way. Poor Leon had to see it all though, I hate hurting the poor guy :( I'm treating him extra well in the other fanfic I'm working on though, don't worry Leon stans


	11. A Bittersweet Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a mini-chapter to see how Leon's feeling after the entire mess of the last chapter.

Leon flew on Charizard’s back while Hop rode his Corviknight. Leon had been thankful that Klara had opted to be his younger brother’s flying companion, rather than his. It gave him time to clear his mind from the events of the day. 

A mixture of emotions flooded his senses: relief at Light being alive and saving the town, exhaustion from the tiring events from the day, happiness for two of his best friends, pride at his younger brother for coming to their rescue so quickly, gratitude towards the poison-type Gym Leader for aiding them at a moment’s notice, but what Leon felt most strongly was pain. Watching Light, the woman he cared deeply for, and his best friend confess their feelings of love for each other had been more painful than he’d anticipated. He’d had to look away as they arrived in the frozen city as he saw Raihan wrap his arms around her, comforting her over her release of Calyrex. 

He hadn’t realized how strong his feelings were for the Champion. At first, it had appeared as friendship, developing into a mild crush. As he’d told Raihan many months ago, it was hard not to feel that way about her. Even typically cold and callous beasts felt drawn to her. Yes, as Glastrier had charged at her, all he could think about was protecting her from the harm, ready to risk his own life in the process. Leon was caring, and protective by nature, but he usually wasn’t rash enough to throw his own body in front of something as a shield without finding another alternative first.

It wasn’t even as if he had the excuse of following Raihan’s lead in the action. The secret would go with him to the grave, but Raihan had only moved after he saw Leon move, or at least it appeared to be as such. It was possible, and very likely that the other man had the same plan but hadn’t put it into action until Leon had already been in motion. Not that who moved first served as a measurement of their feelings for her, but he knew this would come up in conversation with his best friend some day in the future, as well as was something Leon couldn’t deny to himself any longer.

Of all the women, nay even people in the world for him to love, why did it have to be her? She, who was already in love with his best friend, who was one of his closest friends, who was also his little brother’s best friend. Of course, he already knew the answer. In part, it was the same answer that Raihan, or almost anyone would give. Light challenged him. She was strong in a way that so many people loved. Her strength, and way of training and battling was different from most in a way Leon couldn’t quite put words to, yet she also had all of the qualities that   
Leon himself used in battle and his interactions with Pokemon. In addition to being strong, she was also so gentle and selfless. Light truly connected with, and was kind to every person and Pokemon she encountered, and her sweet face, with its gentle features and expressions was so easy to trust and look at. 

Beyond the things that everyone loved about her, though, Light understood Leon in a way that nobody else could have, not even his own brother, Hop. Every doubt she’d faced as Champion so far, he’d felt himself at some point or another. She’d been there the day of Eternatus, understood how it haunted him. She’d understood how it felt for him, unable to protect the people he loved, but at the same time assured him that it was okay to have help. When it came down to it, she’d been there every time he did need help. How could he not care for her in this way?

Leon flew ahead of the others, freeing himself to curse to himself, fighting back tears as Charizard sped towards their suite in Wyndon. He could count the number of times he’d cried in his life on less than two hands, yet a good chunk of them had been just in the past few months. It was another thing he both loved and, in this moment, cursed about Light. She was so open with her emotions, and brought them out of him. He opened up to him in ways he’d never even done so with Raihan, or his own family. The closest comparison would be Charizard, who was more comparable to an extension of himself, rather than comparable to a best friend. He didn’t need to vocalize his words to the Pokemon- it either understood, or didn’t. This was one instance where the Pokemon, having not yet met a mate for itself, didn’t fully understand, though it understood the challenge ahead of it when they’d be battling the woman, or the way Leon was happier around her. 

The first thing Leon did when he got home was change into comfier clothes, ones that hadn’t touched the frigid air of the Tundra. His gray sweats and form-fitting tshirt were plenty comfortable for the evening. The second thing he did was break into the bottle of rum that he’d kept at the back of his cupboard for special celebrations, or for tough nights. Though he’d only ever opened the bottle for celebratory reasons, tonight certainly counted as the latter. He had feelings, real, deep feelings for his best friend’s girlfriend, and there wasn’t a single thing he could do about it besides smile and be happy that the two of them had found each other. And he would. If Raihan treated her right, and truly loved her, Leon would absolutely never interfere. He would smile, congratulate them on every milestone. He’d fist bump Raihan over sexually explicit stories, and be the best man at their future wedding, if their relationship progressed that far. He’d continue to be her close friend, enjoying their battles and constantly encouraging her as the Champion of Galar. He’d reassure her that she was doing amazing when she doubted herself and continue to push her to reach new heights. 

But tonight, he wasn’t going to do any of that. Tonight, Leon was going to do his best to drown those feelings in alcohol before facing the pair with a fresh, new outlook.

He was about two drinks in and feeling moderately intoxicated when a knock at the door shook him from his reprieve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart breaks for Leon a little in this chapter. I swear on my life I didn't plan for this fanfic to become a love triangle in any way, but I have a hard time imagining a world where Leon doesn't fall in love with the champion, so we'll see where this new development takes me. 
> 
> Sidenote, I picture Leon as someone who doesn't drink much, so he's a major lightweight and it's kind of adorable XD
> 
> ANYWAYS, smut upcoming in the next chapter


	12. Closed, but Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is it, it's happening. We've got some smut, angst, and fluff all wrapped into one package of a chapter.

Hop, Klara and Leon had left Freezington immediately, leaving Light and Raihan behind. In her vulnerable state, Light wasn’t feeling ready to travel, or go back to their normal lives. 

She was thankful she’d stored extra clothes in her expedition camp that she shared with Peony and his daughter, Peonia, who weren’t in the region that particular day. Light hissed as she removed her leggings, which had stuck to her legs in the places the poison had dripped. Each spot forming its own little circular wound, forming a pattern that reminded her of a string of beads running up her leg from her ankle all the way up to where her leg met her hip. The wounds very clearly needed cleaning. “Rai,” she called weakly through the hut, “Can you bring me a wet towel with some soap and a dry towel?” After he’d seen her completely topless the night he’d helped her dress, Light wasn’t nearly as shy at the exposure of her legs now. 

“Fuck,” Raihan hissed as he saw the welts that ran up the entire length of her leg. Rage seared through his veins. He could have killed Oleana for what she’d done to his Light. He could tell she was trying not to audibly wimper as he gently dabbed each sore, making sure the flesh wouldn’t get infected. He let her cry in silence, still mourning the release of the Pokemon that had risked its life to save her. More than anything, he wanted to have the words to say to make her feel better, to comfort her. Truthfully, Raihan had never experienced the death or release of a Pokemon he’d bonded with; his time as a Gym Leader had been fortunate enough in that regard. 

When her wounds were clean, Light decided to forgo pants, curling up under the blanket and pulling Raihan down with her. He gladly accepted her touch, her warmth. He thought he’d lost her today. Time and time again, every time his hope was lifted, a harsh reality had come crashing down. It was nothing short of a miracle to him that she was alive even now. As he pressed her body to his, as close as he possibly could without hurting her, his own tears fell. Today was the second time he’d cried in front of anyone, and the second time in front of the girl he loved. She stroked his hair, comforting him in the midst of her own emotions.

“Talk to me, Rai,” she pleaded. In that moment, she wanted him, needed him. But first, the wall he put up between even him and her needed to come down. If he couldn’t do it now, she wasn’t sure he ever could. 

He wasn’t sure what exactly she wanted, so he gave her the simplest answer that he could grasp onto: “I thought I’d lost you today,” he said against her neck, not ready to meet her eyes. “I love you so much, I couldn’t handle the thought of losing you,”

Light pondered his response. Of course, it was part of what was going on. Her emotions were heightened at the thought of losing him today too, when he’d run out to block the beam of ice from Glastrier. It explained the tears that fell from him now, the desperation in his touch. It was enough of an explanation, for now. She turned to him, finding his lips with hers as she pressed closer, wanting to feel every inch of him. Reaching for his shirt, she peeled it off quickly, and then her own. 

Raihan moaned at the feel of their bodies together, feeling her skin on his. He trailed his kisses to her neck, roaming his hands eagerly over her stomach, and up to her bra. His pants tightened as she arched her back slightly, leaning into the touch and letting out a soft pant. He undid the clasp, throwing the piece onto the floor as he explored her bare breasts, something he’d wanted to do since that night he’d dressed her. Lower, lower went his kisses until his lips found their way to her nipple, where he bit down softly. A moan, louder this time, escaped her lips as she began to rock herself against his leg. His heart pounded in his chest, feeling all of the blood rushing to his groin as the friction of her hips excited him. Was this really happening? He wanted her. Oh, how he wanted her, but he also wanted to be sure. “Light..what-“

“I need you,” she panted desperately, cutting him off as he spoke. He felt her reach for his pants, tugging at the waistband. Her left arm wasn’t quite strong enough yet for the downward motion, so Raihan helped, shrugging them off the rest of the way, leaving the two of them in nothing but the thin layer of their underwear. He shifted his weight so that he was on top of her, moving his attention back to kissing her neck as he slowly rocked his hardness against her core, ever so slowly. The heat that rushed to her cheeks as she moaned, rocking her hips back against his, was absolutely intoxicating to him. A slight flush spread all over her body as her arousal grew. This, Raihan decided was the most exquisite thing he’d ever seen. “I love you,” he whispered as he took in the sight of her body, almost all of it bare to him.

“I love you too,” she said, wrapping one hand in his hair and the other at his back. Her nails dug in slightly as he rocked against the sensitive parts of her, and she felt him shudder. “Too hard?” she asked, releasing the pressure.

He shook his head quickly. “You’re too fucking sexy,” he said in reply, guiding her hand back to where it was. “Don’t you dare fucking stop,” he pleaded when she didn’t move right away. She grinned, running her nails gently up and down the length of his back, only digging them in as he brought her waves of pleasure. 

Letting go of his back, she moved to her underwear in attempt to slide it down, but Raihan’s hand stopped her. “Patience, Princess,” he murmured. “I’m gunna make this good for you too, but you’ve gotta let me ease you into it.”

His fingers slid down to her core, rubbing her from over her lacy underwear blue this time. Raihan could feel that she was already so wet through the fabric, and he smiled, his own arousal growing at the thought of how horny he had made her. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and he was going to make sure her first time was memorable for the both of them. Truthfully, he’d never actually had sex with a virgin before. The thought made him both nervous and excited. He was going to be gentle, sensitive to what she might be feeling, but also couldn’t wait to be the first one to explore her this way. 

Light moaned as his fingers slipped beneath her underwear, his thumb moving in a circular motion on her most sensitive areas, meeting the skin directly with his own. Her hands gripped the sheets, back arching upwards as his hands worked expertly on her clit. She’d done this herself, of course, in the past, but never had it felt like this. Raihan slid a finger insider her opening, gently sliding it in and out of her, curling his finger upwards towards her stomach as he did to also stroke the inner walls. “Fuck Rai,” she moaned, aching for more. His fingers were long, reaching places inside her she had no idea could feel as good as they did now.

It took every ounce of self-restraint he had not to rip his boxers off and fuck her right then and there. He loved the way his name sounded on her lips, calling out in pleasure. He wanted more of it, wanted to hear her scream his name, and he was going to make her cum before he felt the inside of her. This wasn’t his first rodeo around a woman; Raihan continued the slow movement of his finger inside of her as his thumb continued to circle her clit. And fuck, was she wet for him, making the in-and-out motion effortless as she squirmed, soft sighs escaping her lips every so often. To his disappointment, she didn’t call his name, even as he picked up the pace slightly. Her body began to tremble beneath his hands, her anticipation building. Raihan wanted so badly to cut her off mid-rise, edging her until she begged him for release, but he wanted to be gentle for this first time. And, despite his previous experience in the area, he wanted to make absolutely sure she finished during her first time.

Raihan got both of his wishes as she came, feeling the muscles inside her pulse around his finger. Light called his name into the otherwise silent night, running her fingers through her hair as her body lost itself in the euphoria. Again, nothing she’d ever done herself had felt like that. Raihan marveled at her body, flushed with a thin layer of perspiration and post-orgasm glow as he stood up to remove his own boxers and grab a towel. She looked at the towel in confusion.

“You’re bleeding a little, Princess,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to ruin the bed.”

Light blushed a deep shade of red. “Shit, I mean, I’m not-“

“I know,” Raihan chuckled softly. “It can happen with your first time. I’ve never done this with someone…new…before, so I’m not sure what to expect either. Here, sit up for just a sec so I can get this under you.”

Light listened, biting her lip in hesitation. Every other woman he’d been with hadn’t been a virgin, meaning that every woman who he’d been with had known what to do much better than she did now. When she didn’t meet his eyes, Raihan took her face in his hands, turning her green eyes to meet his cerulean ones. “Hey, I love you,” he said gently. “That’s all that matters.”

With that, he laid her down on the bed, positioning himself at her entrance. He’d wanted this for so long, and was suddenly glad they’d waited for so long, his love for her made this moment all the more special. With every inch he slowly eased into her, her breath and his came just a   
little faster, the sensation overwhelming. Even with how wet she’d been, she was so tight around him. The discomfort quickly shifted to pleasure, as he watched her features light up once again in arousal. It was his turn to call out her name as he began to quicken his pace, still going slowly enough to not cause her pain. Each slow thrust earned a soft pant from her lips as she pressed her fingernails once again into his back. He loved the feel of her scratching against him, as if she was barely able to contain herself. His back would look nothing short of a scratching post for a Purrloin, but he’d wear the marks with pride, a token of how much he made her want him.

As he picked up the pace, Raihan was careful to wrap the leg of Light’s that had been poisoned around his waist to prevent the sweat and friction from their skin to burn the wounds. Wrapped around his waist, the welts avoided contact with skin and he was able to get better leverage on her hips. If her left leg had been properly healed from the break, he’d have wrapped the other one too, completely burying himself inside of her, something they’d have to try when she’d healed. 

Her tightness brought him to the edge closer than usual for him. While his previous sexual exploits had caused him to build some stamina, what he experienced in that moment with Light was unique, as if he was experiencing everything for the first time. And in a sense, he was. This was Raihan’s first time truly making love to someone. And although the movement of her hips against his was clearly inexperienced, he’d noted, in some ways it was better than even the most experienced of lovers he’d been with. He found his release within her, calling Light’s name into the night as he flopped down onto the bed beside her.

Light laid there with Raihan for a moment, taking in the excitement, the sensations of what had just happened. She’d given everything to the man who lay in her arms now, a man she loved, and who loved her. It had been absolutely perfect, what every girl had dreamed her first time would be like. Yet, why did something still feel wrong? “Talk to me,” she pleaded for the second time that day, hoping that in baring her soul, he’d share even a piece of his.

Raihan laughed, and it was clear he’d misunderstood the brevity with which she’d asked the question. “About what?” he asked in return.

She sighed, a slight seed of frustration growing within her. “Raihan, I can tell there’s something you’re not telling me about, you’re not letting me in.” She tried to keep her voice light, not wanting to start an argument right after that amazing moment they’d shared.

Apparently, her tone had been too light. “I think you were the one just letting me in,” he joked, kissing her forehead as he laughed, which she didn’t return. Instead, she gave up. “Forget it,” she said. “Let’s just go to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning.”

Not understanding, Raihan stood up, preparing his things to go sleep on the couch in the living room of the house. “What are you doing?” Light asked, surprise clear on her face as she watched him put his clothes back on, grabbing for his Rotom Phone.  
“You said you wanted to go to bed,” he answered.

“My leg is healed now, will you stay with me tonight?” Light pleaded. Raihan had clearly been avoiding sharing a bed with her, which was one of the problems that had been a concern with him not letting her in now. To refuse sleeping next to her after the moment they’d shared, at least without explaining why, would be soul-crushing to her. 

Raihan froze. He’d spent the last two nights that she’d healed working himself up to this moment, having moved his bed into the same room as hers. Yet as she looked at him now with her large, green trusting eyes, he knew he couldn’t. “I…can’t…” he whispered, hanging his head.

“Can you tell me why?” she asked, trying not to let her frustration and disappointment seep into her voice. 

How can I tell you that I have near-constant night terrors, often of what would happen if I lost you. How can I tell you about the crippling anxiety and self-doubt that keeps me up at night, or the fact that my night-terrors can get so bad that I might accidentally hurt you in my sleep? How could he tell her, he wondered, that he’d never learned what it meant to love and be loved in return? Sleeping was the most vulnerable state, a state he’d already put himself in the nights he brought his bed into her room. “I can’t,” he said even quieter, still not looking into her eyes. 

“Can you tell me anything?” the frustration was evident in her voice now, but she didn’t care. He wasn’t letting her in and it was breaking her heart. The past few months, she’d told him every detail of the doubts that consumed her, every worry, and every childhood memory that she held dear, offering herself up to him. In return, it took a lot of coaxing to get the basic information from him: some minor family background, what some of his favorites were. In terms of the things that mattered most, he’d offered her slim to nothing.

“I can tell you that I love you.”

“Can you tell me anything else?” Tears formed in her eyes as she asked what would be her last question of the night if he didn’t tell her something, anything.

“I…I can’t.” His tone was quiet, but decisive, and it was what pushed her over the edge.

“Then I can’t stay here,” she announced, getting up to pack her things. She threw on her earlier outfit, not caring that the shirt was inside-out. The rest of her things were stuffed into her bag as she pushed past him into the main area of the cabin.

“Please, Light, just give me a little more time,” Raihan was now taking his turn pleading, gently grasping her arm to pull her into a tight hug. The pain in his voice was as clear as water, yet his answer didn’t change. 

She stepped out of the embrace, her tears falling freely now. “I’ve given you everything else I possibly have to give,” she sobbed. “I can’t be here tonight. Don’t you dare try to follow me. I'm done, Raihan.”

With that, she shut the door to the cabin, walking towards the train station as she dialed for a Flying Taxi. She would be returning to Wyndon tonight.

Light didn’t know why, but when she arrived at the hotel around 2 am in Wyndon, she headed passed her own hotel suite, finding herself knocking at Leon’s. To her surprise, he answered immediately, clad gray sweatpants and a tshirt that clung tighly to the muscles of his arms and chest. His hair, usually wild and free, was pulled back into a still-wild ponytail. The smell that wafted from his apartment, paired with the drink in his hand told her that he’d been drinking, and not in small amounts. Overall, she hadn’t left much later than the earlier caravan had, no more than an hour or two afterwards, yet she had expected Leon to be passed out cold as soon as he’d come home. She’d never seen him drink so much as a sip of alcohol.

“Light, what’s going on?” Despite the buzz that clouded his mind, he could see that Light had been crying and he noted she was alone in her arrival. He held out his arms, which she eagerly accepted as she sank into the friendly hug. Leon held her as she cried some more, shifting their weight to his bed in the corner of the room so that she could be more comfortable.

She shook her head, instead grabbing for the bottle on his nightstand, taking a swig directly from the bottle, regretting it instantly as the liquid burned her throat. Although she was of age, Light wasn’t particularly fond of drinking, though tonight would be her exception. Leon laughed, still concerned for the woman who sat next to him, but intoxicated enough to momentarily find her alcohol intolerance, equal to his, amusing. “Here,” he said, handing her the cup he’d been drinking from. “It tastes better when you mix it with soda.”

Downing the remainder of the liquid in one gulp, she turned her eyes to him. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Leon chuckled, getting up briefly to mix another drink before sitting back down, a little closer to her this time. “Well, when I was five years old, I had a bad habit of teasing the Wooloo that lived near our houses. I’d pull their wool and then take off running when they charged at me. A lot of fences got broken that way, so my mother told me that for every Wooloo I teased, the parent Dubwool would team up behind my back to steal my upcoming Christmas candy. I figured out the truth by the next year, but let me tell you I’ve never teased on any Dubwoll since then.”

“Just new Champions, right?” she teased, grateful for his lighthearted story that had provided some relief from her current misery. She took the cup from him, stealing another sip from the cup. The first swig of straight rum and the downing of the remainder of his drink had begun their work in her body, making her feel warm and tingly. Or maybe it was the former Champion who sat next to her, donning casual clothes she’d never seen him in before. 

And their boyfriends, Leon wanted to add. Thankfully, he was still sober enough to stop himself from making the quip, sensing that whatever troubled her had to do with his best friend. “Okay, now it’s your turn,” he said to lighten the mood, stealing the cup back for his own sip. The bold, dark side of him tonight relished in the way their hands brushed together every time they exchanged the cup, though he knew those feelings were wrong. Tonight was the one night he’d planned to indulge his feelings for her, wallowing in the pain. He hadn’t expected to see her tonight, when all of his composure had been thrown out the window due to a slim, glass bottle and a flimsy plastic cup that sat in their hands between them tonight. This was sure to end poorly for someone, yet he wasn’t sure if he had the resolve to send away the woman he cared for, not with the state she’d come to him in. He would focus on making her smile tonight, above anything else. 

Light thought about what story she should tell the purple haired male. Clearly, she wasn’t ready to tell him what had happened between her and Raihan, that would be something she saved for the cold, sober light of day. She opted for a lighter tale, one with the same note of lightness and silliness to it. She told the story of how she met her Corviknight, which was a Rookidee at the time. Along one of the first routes she’d adventured after Leon had given her Scorbunny, she was taking a break against a tree, having a light snack of berries that she’d harvested from trees. The Rookidee had snatched the bag of berries right from her hand, trying to fly away. The bag was too heavy as it tried to fly, she was easily able to snatch the bag back and even offer it some. Rookidee had refused in a cocky and hilarious manner by turning its entire body away from her rather than just shaking its head. That was when Light knew she wanted to catch the bird, who’d become one of her closest allies on and off the field.

“I’ve seen your Corviknight eat, that big guy does not like to share,” he laughed.

The memory of Raihan saying virtually the same thing on their first date ran through her mind. Light winced, stealing a long drink from the cup, which was now empty. Leon looked at her, surprised, noticing the pain in her expression. He didn’t know what about his statement had caused her pain, but it was clear something had struck a chord. All he wanted was to see that beautiful smile return to her face. “My turn,” he said, mixing yet another drink. The room span a little more than he’d anticipated as he did, and it was clear he’d need to stop soon. Both to prevent himself from throwing up in front of her, and to prevent himself from getting too drunk that he’d do something that would ultimately only hurt everyone involved. “Let’s see,” he pondered at his depth of embarrassing stories. “Oh, I know! Did I ever tell you the first time my mum realized I was pants at directions? It’s also the story of how I met Charizard.”

Light giggled and shook her head. This was a story she’d been longing to hear, as the Pokemon wasn’t common in the region of Galar. 

“Okay, so,” he continued eagerly, the alcohol running through his system urging him to talk faster and louder than usual. “I was about seven years old when my mum sent me out to get some flowers from the Wedgehurst market. Hop was about two at the time and driving her absolutely bonkers.” He paused, giggling at the sound of the word ‘bonkers.’ Light giggled with him, beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol she’d quickly consumed. “So I went out and got the flowers, making it there easily, since it was just a straight shot down the road. I knew not to play in the tall grass, at least. But I decided to take a detour on the way back, since Hop’s crying was also driving me crazy. I couldn’t concentrate on being the best at my video game with him screaming in my ear. And of course, at the time beating a video game was at the top of my priority list. Anyway, I decided to walk through the farm fields out behind your house and pretend I was on a top-secret Pokemon mission.

“Anyway, I hadn’t realized how dangerous the Slumbering Weald was, so I decided to walk a little into the woods. I remember setting the flowers down carefully in front of the trees at the edge to remind myself to come back. And, of course, so I didn’t ruin mum’s pretty flowers. Naturally, young me thought that I’d somehow see the flowers if they were facing the field, rather than the forest.” He facepalmed, remembering his foolish mistake. “So I went deeper into the woods, climbing the trees and pretending to be a monkey-human Pokemon. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t get attacked by a Rookidee or something worse, I was so obnoxious, climbing up trees, hiding under bushes, trying to do cool tricks by jumping off any fallen logs. I didn’t realize how far into the wood I’d gotten until I couldn’t actually see the clearing anymore, so I just kinda ran around, hoping I’d run into something I recognized. But I ended running further into the woods. And of course, I was crying by this time, scared I’d never see my mum again, so I couldn’t see anything, which is when I tripped over Charizard, who was just a little Charmander back then.”

“Did he magically lead you back to your house in Postwick like he does now?”

Leon laughed. “Actually, no. The poor thing was just as lost as I was. I helped it look around for its own mom for quite some time, but we never did find her. Little guy got so pooped out that he actually sat down and refused to move. I tried to be the hero I’d gone into the woods pretending to be, so I picked him up and boy was he pissed. I’ve never seen a Charmander bite something so many times as he did my shoulders that day. Pretty sure I’ve even still got the scar from the spot he really bit down.” Feeling bold, Leon pulled his shirt over his head, turning his back to her and gesturing to the top of his right shoulder. He felt her trace a crescent shape, right where his partner had really sunk its teeth into his skin. He shuddered at her touch, gentle yet surprisingly warm for someone who’d just flown in from the Crown Tundra. Her green eyes met his as he turned around, and it took him a moment to regain his composure, longer than it typically would have taken if he were sober, if the craving of her touch hadn’t been all-consuming to him.

He left his shirt off as he continued. “So anyway, I carried him around the woods, really fucking lost. Eventually, my dad was the one who found me and Charmander. They let me keep him,   
but boy did I get an earful from my mum. It was the only time I’ve ever seen her truly mad, and of course worried and upset. To this day, I swear the only reason Charizard is good with directions is because she’d have threatened to make me release him if I ever pulled a stunt like that again.”

His story had Light rolling with laughter. “Your poor mum!” she howled through the laughs. Leave it to Leon to find his partner Pokemon when he’s lost. The image of a young Leon carrying a Charmander that was probably half his size around the woods was hilarious to her, and she could picture the tantrum the fire type must have had. She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder as she continued to sip from his cup. Being around him was always so easy, and somehow, he always knew what to say. 

Every nerve in Leon’s body lit up as her head fell against his shoulder. They had moved during the end of his story to lean back against the headboard of his bed, the pillows resting comfortably against their backs. Her entire side touched his, the sweet scent of her shampoo, laced with pecha berry making him hazy. He pondered whether she or the alcohol were more intoxicating. 

Soon, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and her breathing deepen, coming in steady, constant waves now. Light had fallen asleep on his chest. Leon wrapped his arms around her, sighing as he knew he’d probably regret it in the morning. But for now he was too tired, too comfortable, and far too intoxicated to not give into this one urge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, even I'm not sure yet where this is going to end up. I'm not sure if I'm going to leave it open-ended and write two different endings for y'all to chose and enjoy, or if I go with one concrete ending of my choosing. Guess we'll see how Light's feeling as I write chapter by chapter XD
> 
> All I know is both men are in love with her, and that some more action is about to go down in the Galar region (plot-wise, not sexually lmao, definitely too soon for poor Light)


	13. Slow Burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this chapter ended up being a long one, and probably my favorite to write so far. It wasn't long enough to split into two chapters, so enjoy my longest one yet XD Some very emotional smut upcoming and a few game-changers.
> 
> If you're like me and really find importance in music during emotional moments, I imagine the song What if This Love is All You'll Ever Get by Snow Patrol as fitting the intimate scene perfectly.

The pounding in her head was the first thing she noticed when Light woke up. The second was that she was in a bed that wasn’t hers, or the one she’d been staying at during her recovery at Hammerlocke Castle. The third was a pair of arms, loosely draped across her shoulders, and her own wrapped around a tan waist. Leons, she realized with a start jumping at the sight of the man she’d been cuddling, his chest bare as he snored, ever so quietly. Guilt spiked through her, until she remembered the events of the previous night, and then sadness took its place. Everything from the previous night was crystal clear to her; she hadn’t had that much to drink. Nothing had happened between her and the man she lay with now. In fact, she was still wearing the clothes she’d flew here in.

She sighed at the arms she hadn’t been expecting to wake up in today, not moving to keep from waking the former champion. Everything had been so perfect between her and Raihan. He’d been so gentle, and made her body feel so good. Raihan loved her, and she loved him. But was that enough? Light had told him every fear, every anxiety that ran through her. There was  
nothing she hadn’t been willing to share with him, and she’d shared the one part of her that she’d never shared with another soul. Was it unreasonable for her to expect him to open himself up completely as well, just because she had?

No, she decided. It wasn’t just that he’d kept parts of himself from her, although that was a large part of it. Raihan had hid the Dynamax Pokemon from her, making that decision for her on whether it was better to tell her. When she asked him to open up, he wouldn’t even give her a reason for why he wasn’t ready. If he had, maybe she would have had an easier time accepting his non-answer, and his not wanting to be close to her after the moment they’d shared. It was a combination of the many little things that had hurt her. Though, naturally, she was likely to confide in Leon, who was close with both parties. Maybe he’d have some insight that she missed; he usually did.

From the beside table on the side closer to Leon, his Rotom phone rang, startling him awake. Leon had just enough time to blush at his arms, still around Light as he checked the caller. It was Mustard, who almost never called. “Hello?” he answered in a deep, groggy voice. His head didn’t hurt, surprisingly, but he was certainly not altogether there. He could feel Light’s eyes on his face, her hands still hadn’t moved from his body.

“Leon,” said the dojo master in a serious voice. “I need your help. Yours and Light’s, actually. Somebody’s breaking into the two towers on the island. Whoever they are, they’re strong. I have Klara with me, but I don’t think either of us can take them on alone. Do you think you could help us?”

“Of course,” he answered immediately, getting up in a hurry. The movement left him a little woozy and he slowed his pace down slightly. Light, who couldn’t hear what Mustard was saying, eyed him in surprise, and questioning. “We need to go, now,” he whispered, putting his hand over the microphone so Mustard couldn’t hear him. Not thinking, he stripped down to his boxers, searching for his usual compression leggings and shorts. He noticed a deep shade of red on Light’s face as he searched the room, and he realized he’d completely forgotten that it was inappropriate for him to strip in front of her the way he had. She’d seen him like this before, all of the challengers changed in the locker room, but the meaning was entirely different now. They’d slept together. Slept, as in literal sleeping, but it had still been intimate, nonetheless. “Sorry,” he mouthed, ducking behind a wall to throw his clothes on. 

Light, having been in the same clothes for the past few days, looked in her bag awkwardly as Leon finished his conversation with Mustard from behind a small wall that separated them in the hotel suite. The only clothes that remained in her bag were a flimsy nightgown and a pair of flip-flops, which she carried everywhere in case of an emergency. Yet her current clothes, leggings, her leather jacket, and a tattered tshirt were starting to become uncomfortable. The leggings, which she’d thrown back on in her haste to leave the Tundra behind, were crusted over, and she was unsure how much of the hardered liquid was blood or poison. The roughness of the fabric, or possibly the poison made her legs itch, she realized, now that she was fully to her senses. Her shirt, though not full of poison, was covered in blood and dirt stains.  
Leon noticed this for the first time as he walked back into the room, putting his phone away. “You probably need to change first, huh?”

Again, she blushed. “I, um don’t exactly have anything on me right now.”

He threw her the spare set of his champion jersey and shorts that were lying, freshly cleaned at the foot of the bed. “I’ll be just outside when you’re ready,” he said. “We’ve got to hurry.”

As he left the room, Light got up slowly, testing her own balance. Her head still pounded, but she could at least stand upright as she changed into Leon’s clothes. The taller man’s apparel was slightly loose on her petite frame, but they would work for the day. She put Growlithe, who’d been silent in Leon’s kitchen since they’d arrived, in its Pokeball and exited the door. 

“Do you mind if I ride with you on Charizard?” she asked as they walked through the doors of the hotel. The sunlight was harsh on her hangover, and another ripple of pain seared through her head. “I’m, um, in no shape to fly Corvvy right now.” 

Leon looked her over with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay to come with me? I know Mustard asked for you, but I’m sure I can find one of the other Gym Leaders if you need to go lie down.” He hated seeing her in physical pain almost as much as the emotional pain he knew that also ran through her. 

She shook her head. Wallowing at home was the absolute last thing Light wanted to do right now. Besides, the longer flight to the Isle of Armor would give her a chance to talk to Leon, seek his advice. Before she did that, though, there was something else she needed to say as she slid onto his partner Pokemon, suddenly aware of his hands that rested on your hips from behind her: “Lee, I’m sorry for coming over like that last night, and-and cuddling you like that. It was completely inappropriate. And thank you, for being such a good friend.”

“Light, you are always welcome to come over and be my drinking buddy. Seriously, if getting drunk was that fun every time, I’d probably do it more often.” Leon blushed, was that too forward of him? Her expression, from what little he could see, didn’t give him any indication either way. “As for the cuddling, I don’t mind it. It’s not every day you get cuddles from the Champion of Galar. But something tells me I’m not exactly the one you should be worried about minding. I should also be the one apologizing to you,” he added quickly, remembering his semi-conscious choice to return the embrace, holding her close. “I didn’t exactly stop you, although I probably should have. Rai’s my best friend.”

It was her turn to deflect. “Leon, we were both pretty out of it. And Raihan is…” she took in a deep breath. “You don’t have to worry about it. He doesn’t get a say in what I do anymore.”

A mixture of confused feelings went through Leon. “What happened?” He asked, resting his head on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her waist, trying to comfort her yet again through his touch.  
“He’s not opening up to me,” she said, figuring this was the best route to start the conversation. “There’s something that Raihan’s hiding, that he won’t tell me. He won’t even tell me why he can’t open up to me. He didn’t tell me about the Dynamax Pokemon in the Wild Area the entire time he was sneaking off to stop the Pokemon. I can’t trust him fully. He wouldn’t even sleep in the same bed as me after we…” she blushed, struggling to put to words the actions she’d done the previous night, wishing it hadn’t been the mistake it turned out to be. She didn’t regret it, but she knew she was partially responsible for the pain that she felt now; she could have waited until she was sure she could trust him. “I don’t know what I should do, Lee.”

His arms tightened around her yet again, the mix of emotions within him deepening. He was torn between wanting to help his best friend, wanting to help his other best friend, and the affection he felt for her. Her first time sleeping in the same bed with someone else had been with him, not Raihan. The realization surprised him; he’d never realized that Raihan had a problem with sharing the bed, though the former champion knew that the Gym Leader had a problem sharing his feelings. There were thoughts, fears he’d never shared with Leon. His hesitance to open up to her confused him. Light, in his experience, was the easiest person to open up to, and he found himself constantly almost telling her the things he’d kept secret for his best friend’s sake. 

Behind her rose-gold hair, Leon also hid his own pain. Hearing that the woman he cared for had sex with his best friend stung a little. Not enough to change anything, but it still hurt. It hurt even worse knowing that she, like him, had been a virgin, that the act had been giving Raihan a part of herself she could never get back, and he ended up hurting her. “I think you made the right choice, in giving yourself some space,” he said, trying to be truthful and supportive of her at the same time. “You should probably talk to him, once you’re ready. I don’t know if he’ll be ready to open up to you by then, he’s opened up to you far more than he ever has to me, but you deserve closure on the matter at the very least.”

“Lee, am I overreacting? Be honest.”

He thought about it. “He has opened up to you more than I’ve ever seen him do with anyone, to be fair. You bring him down from that cocky cloud he likes to sit on, and he actually acknowledges when he’s wrong now. Raihan has told you things he’s never told anyone, not even me. But, you do that to people Light. I don’t know how you do, but I find myself constantly wanting to spill all of my secrets every time I look at you.” There he went again, telling her far too much. “I don’t know what Rai’s got locked in that head of his, or whether you can handle it all, or whether he’ll ever share it. I know he loves you, but I can’t tell you whether that’s enough for you or not. You have every right to want more from him, that much I can tell you.”  
His heart felt like it was ready to burst out of his chest. All Leon wanted to do was tell her how he felt, to tell her how much he loved her too, and how he wanted to be the one to give her that happiness. The tears he’d suppressed from the previous night returned, threatening to spill. 

Light, noticing the quiver in his breath, turned her head towards him, just slightly so that she didn’t lose her balance on Charizard. “Lee, what’s wrong?” she asked, noticing the wetness to his eyes, wanting to let go of the Pokemon and hold him in her arms, just as he’d done for her. 

Leon shook his head, rubbing at his eyes as he smiled for her. “There’s so much I want to say to you, Light, I just don’t know why it has to be so difficult,” he sighed, burying his face in her hair, as if the rose-gold veil could protecther from the words he knew he had no choice but to tell her, in time. “I’ll find the words,” he promised, whispering the promise into her ear. “but let’s save the day first.”

She nodded, grateful for his openness, his promise to tell her what was in his own heart, even though she’d never asked or expected him to. Maybe it was that Leon had been friends with Sonia, a girl in his adolescence. Maybe she taught him, indirectly how to express his feelings in a healthy way. Maybe it was his parents’ teachings, or something Leon had picked up along the way as he grew, but it was a stark contrast between the two men. The former champion was an open book, at least with her, whereas the Gym Leader kept the novel that was his heart in the packaging, never to be known or read by anyone else. It was as if she had had gotten a finger under the plastic but couldn’t pull it free around the binding. “You never did exactly tell me where we were going, or what we were doing, by the way,” she teased him, lightening the mood a little. “Though I assume it’s the Isle since the call was from Mustard. Although, I probably should have confirmed it to make sure, since that’s where we’re headed now.”

That gave him an impish idea. “Wait, shit, we’re headed towards the Isle of Armor? That’s not where we’re supposed to be going.”

“Le-on!” She cried, exasperated, but giggled a little at the purple-haired male’s lack of a sense of direction. “Now I know you should have let me navigate. I’m revoking your privileges. Where are we going?” 

“You have no faith in me,” he teased back. “We’re headed to the Isle of Armor.” His torso shook against her back as he roared with laughter. Light reached a hand behind her, slapping his thigh- which was all she could reach. Leon was thankful he’d thrown on his compression leggings in his hurry this morning- every touch she made against his bare skin was simply overwhelming, like a jolt of electricity running through his system. The sensation against his bare thighs, which were sensitive enough as it sat, would have driven him absolutely wild.

“You are an absolute fiend!” She yelled back, giving into the laughter herself. A wave of relief washed over her as she could see the high plateaus and crests of the island. The Isle of Armor had served as sort of a reprieve for her. After becoming Champion, Light had taken a short vacation to the region, training under the guidance of Mustard, the leader of the Island’s dojo, working her body, mind, and Pokemon in the time she spent here. It had become a welcome distraction from the self-doubt that had riddled within her, worrying that her win against Leon was just a fluke. It was Leon, who’d seen her inner struggles and need for some time away from the sudden fame her position had brought upon her, was actually the one to suggest the locale, as well as the Crown Tundra, which she also spent some time at. Again, it was incredible how well he’d understood her needs before even she knew them herself. 

Charizard landed atop the bluff that led to the Tower of Darkness, the tower of which she’d trained with her Kubfu, teaching it the art of dark and fighting style moves until it was ready to evolve into its current form, Urshifu. Light wished silently that the Pokemon, comfortable and familiar in the land was with her now. One of the dojo students greeted them at the entrance of the tower. “Light, Leon, thanks for coming,” he greeted, bowing slightly. “Klara and Mustard are over at the Tower of Water right now. Some fancy-dressed woman came barging into this tower. She had a few men with her, but she said something about looking for another. We were no match for them. Would you two mind stopping them?”

Oleana, both trainers thought, nodding at the dojo student as they ran inside, or hobbled in Light’s case. The bottom floor was vacant; Oleana must have ran straight for the top of the tower. “There’s a lot of steps,” Light said anxiously as they reached the staircase. She’d climbed this staircase when she trained Kubfu, up all four full sets of steep stairs. Her left leg was already sore just from the position she’d had it while they rode Charizard, much less the stairs. 

Without saying anything, Leon wrapped his arm tightly against her waist, helping to support the weight on her left side. The dim lighting of the dark tower, admittedly, looked incredible, and in any other scenario with a fully healed leg, doing stair runs in the tower with Leon would have been a fun activity. It was certainly one she’d have to do once her leg could properly bear weight again. “Let me know if it becomes too much, and I’ll carry you the rest of the way. I’m going to need my-our little Champion well enough for battle up there.” Leon cursed himself for the slip-up, hoping she wouldn’t noticed.

Light didn’t notice as she focused on bearing her weight heavily on her right side without leaning too much on Leon’s strength. Despite this, she found herself tiring easily, her legs buckling as the weight on her left side became too much to bear after clearing the first floor. Her companion bent down, placing his arm under her legs and scooping her up to carry her bridal-stlye to the top floor. It surprised him just how easy she was to carry, wrapping her good arm around his neck to hold herself steady, bracing some of her weight herself. Leon was constantly being surprised by her strength, despite her petite and fragile frame. It was obvious she trained; her slim features were defined by the muscles that formed from that training. Her thighs, much like his from riding Charizard everywhere, were toned from her rides on Corviknight. He tried not to think about the shape of her toned body as he carried her, his hands on the bare skin of her thighs as he did. 

Leon set her down on the ground at the top step of the staircase. When they reached the top, the two trainers found the woman they were looking for. In Oleana’s arms, locked in an embrace, was the former Chairman, Rose. Rose looked exactly the same as he had in the months before he disappeared: his hair graying around the sides of his face, his hair neatly gelled back into a polished, upper-class look, his facial features calm, never giving of what went on behind the mask that was his face. 

Light felt Leon stiffen beside her, his features hardening in anger. The former champion approached his former mentor slowly, the rage building inside of him. “How dare you show your face here?” he demanded, struggling to keep  
his voice calm. Light stood slightly behind him and to the side, placing one comforting hand on his back to keep him grounded. She was scared for him in this moment, her heart racing with anxiety about what this would do to the man who was finally beginning to heal from the pain the former Chairman had caused him. 

“I just wanted what everyone else wants: a brighter future for Galar,” the older man replied, stepping back from Oleana to face them. “Of all the people in the region, I had expected you to understand me, Leon. You claim a great love for your region, your people, yet when it came down to it, you couldn’t do what needed to be done. You couldn’t be bothered to put a pause to your games, your meaningless battles. You’re a child, and a disappointment as a Champion.” The words caused Light’s own rage to flare, her burning anger directed fully towards Rose now, who turned to her. “And you, Light, are no better, destined to follow in your predecessor’s footsteps, truly blind to the world around you. You’re both so careless, so negligent of Galar’s future. I’d hoped you’d amount to be more than he ever was, so I had Oleana keep tabs on you, watching your every move as she searched for me. Only when she revealed to me you were not the champion I’d hoped you’d become did I reveal myself to her. Instead of working to solve Galar’s problems, you ran around the region with that Gym Leader, and did nothing as you went and got yourself hurt. Pathetic It’s still not too late to become a champion that saves all of Galar, that works for the betterment of its people, if you listen to me.”

Leon laughed coldly. “Light is, and will continue to be the best Champion Galar has ever seen, just as I was to my predecessor, as he was to his predecessor. What is it you want?”

“You always were one to be straight to the point,” Rose laughed, mocking the former champion. “I want to be reinstated as Chairman, effective immediately, of course.”

It was Light’s turn to laugh darkly. She wasn’t afraid to let the anger seep into her voice as she responded. “For as long as I live, you will never be the Chairman again. You’ve been gone only a few months and Leon has already turned Galar into something more amazing that you did with your entire time as Chairman. There isn’t a single soul in Galar who would want you to return as the Chairman.”

“Enough!” hissed Oleana, who’d been silent until now. “Show us what you’ve become, Champions, or have you forgotten how to battle during your cushy stay at the Hammerlocke castle?”

Light clenched her teeth, biting back the pain that the mention of the castle, and her time with Raihan had caused. Thankfully, Leon spoke up instead. “Gladly,” he growled at the pair, his glare fixed intently on Rose. His amber eyes burned wildly with a level of anger Light had never  
seen on her friend before. Despite her own anger being equally as amped up, she did still feel concern for the former champion. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. Leon felt his body relax slightly, looking into her bright green eyes, her expression filled with concern and…something more that Leon couldn’t read, but he knew she understood the thoughts and emotions that were running through him. That was all he needed to ground himself, sending out his Charizard, who’d be at an advantage to take on Rose’s favored steel types and Oleana’s Tsareena. Light sent out her Gallade, the psychic-type to do well against her poison types. Leon noted the pained expression on Light’s face as the older woman sent out Salazzle, who sneered viciously at Light’s leg, almost as if it were laughing. He looked to where the Pokemon’s gaze was pointed and had to suppress a gasp of horror. He hadn’t noticed it in their rush to leave, but running up the front of Light’s leg was a series of circular welts, one after the other on her leg. Poison: he’d seen the toxic burns himself after getting lost and running into one-too-many poison types in the Glimwood Tangle. The rage returned as they battled, the former chairman and his assistant’s Pokemon proving no match for their own. 

Yet, when his Charizard finished off Rose’s Copperajah with a fiery blast, he noticed the older man smiling, as if there was a hidden secret he and Light had missed. “You both are such fools,” he said, looking between the former and current champion. “No matter, you both have served your purpose. If you won’t stand down, we’ll take you down with us.”

“What do you-“ Leon began asking, but was thrown off of his feet as a tremor ran through the tower, accompanied by a thundering boom from the floors below. Not just a sound, but a bomb, Leon realized. Once again, he’d missed Rose’s true intentions, which all along had been for them to battle him at the top of the tower, distracted enough for a bomb to be set and detonated without their notice. He’d wanted to shield Light from the dangers of this man, and now she, and he, were possibly going to die. It was all his fault, yet again. The floor shifted again below them, and he grabbed his friend, pulling her close to him. “Charizard, run!” he cried, his Pokemon smashing headfirst through the nearest window. Leon winced as he noticed a small spattering of blood on the glass. He’d heal his partner’s wounds as soon as they’d made camp or found a place to rest. Still holding Light by the shoulders, he ran them forward, cradling her to his chest as he leapt from the building. He thanked Arceus and all the gods in existence that she’d put Gallade back in its Pokeball before the commotion started.

The two of them fell several feet in the air, clutching each other tightly as they plummeted, before their bodies collided with Charizards. The fire type cried out in pain as their bodies contacted it, and Leon rubbed his partner Pokemon’s neck. “Sorry bud, thanks for saving us,” he said. When the three of them were far enough away down the Challenge Road to be safe, Charizard lowered itself to the ground, beckoning for the trainers to get off it. Leon returned his partner to its Pokeball, not wanting it to be forced to walk the far distance back to the dojo. 

With a final shudder, the Tower of Darkness gave way, crashing to the ground with a force that knocked Leon and Light to their knees, despite how far away they’d been standing. He stood quickly, offering Light a hand, which she took. She didn’t release his hand when she reached her other arm up around his neck for a hug, whispering in his ear: “Thank you for saving my life.”  
Light didn’t let go even as they began to walk back to the dojo. The feel of his hand comforted her for some reason after her second near-death experience in 24 hours. Both times, Leon had rushed to save her. He was always saving her. As they walked hand-in-hand, she worked to convince herself that their close proximity right now was normal. It was normal to hold hands with someone who’s saved your life multiple times now, and you theirs. It was normal to cuddle with, and hold hands with a drinking buddy that told you the personal details of their life, who shared in some of your fears, assuaging your others. Surely, they’d just been drunk enough, and upset and lonely. But if that was the case, why did every muscle in her body ache to be closer to him now, to have him hold her the way he did this morning? 

Leon was feeling just as perplexed, making sense of his own emotions. That was the second time in 24 hours he’d acted rashly, just to protect her. Even now, as he walked side-by-side with the woman he cared for, he tried to understand why their fingers were still laced, the sides of their bodies as comfortably close together as they could possibly be while walking. He knew his answer, he’d known it since yesterday: he loved her. But that only explained his behavior. It didn’t explain her behavior now, or the way she’d immediately clung to him, trusting his judgement as he flung them into the air through a window, and it certainly didn’t explain the new, unidentifiable expression in her beautiful green eyes. 

The two of them walked the entire distance back to the dojo in silence, lost in their own confused thoughts. Their silence wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact Light found herself more secure and relieved than she had in the past few days, despite being unsettled within herself. 

Honey greeted the two at the doors of the dojo as they pushed the heavy doors open. She wrapped the two of them in a tight hug, both trainers realizing their hands were still linked and dropping them to return the embrace. The woman lived up to her name, smelling of the sweet nectar from Combees. Light had always had a soft spot for Mustard’s wife, her tenderness and openness drew people in, much like Light did herself. Whenever possible, she’d come to help to dojo owner, running odd errands and collecting supplies. “Are the two of you okay?” she asked frantically, looking over the two trainers. “What happened?”

Both trainers hesitated. The loss of the Tower of Darkness was going to come as a devastating loss to the entire dojo, especially Honey and her husband. “Oleana and former Chairman Rose attacked us,” Light explained. “They set a bomb in the tower. I-we couldn’t stop it in time, we just barely got out before it collapsed. Honey…the tower- it’s gone. I’m so sorry.”

Leon looked at her in understanding. She felt the same sense of guilt as he had, of course she did. Honey shook her head, wrapping the rosy haired woman into another hug. “Don’t worry, child. We will rebuild. I’m just glad the two of you are safe. We’re just about to have dinner, would you like some?”

Light shook her head. Even though she hadn’t eaten yet that day, the unease in her emotions caused a lack in her appetite. Leon had felt the same. He wasn’t hungry for food. 

Honey nodded. “You two can use the guest bedroom if you need to rest, or recoup. Thank you both, dearly, from the bottom of our hearts. Don’t fret over the tower dears, the damage would have been far worse if you hadn’t dropped everything to come help us.”

They gave Honey one final hug before entering the guest room, which had been vacant since the students of the dojo stayed in dorm-style chambers, separating the men from the women, though Light knew there was often no separation. Mustard and Honey didn’t enforce any sleeping rules on their students, so they came and went as they pleased. She blushed when she realized the guest bedroom only had one bed, something she should have remembered from her days staying on site. 

As they sat next to each other on the bed, Leon’s eyes locked onto her leg, the one that had been exposed to the Salazzle poison. Without thinking, he traced the area next to the pattern on her thigh. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get there in time to stop this,” he said. “I could hear you scream from down the mountain. Light, it was the worst thing I’d ever heard, knowing that someone was hurting you.”

She took his hand in her own, partly to give it a comforting squeeze and partly because everywhere he touched left a tingling sensation that she didn’t understand. Ever since the previous night, she’d been hyper-aware of everywhere he touched, which had been a lot more than usual today. Leon had always been fairly active in using his hands when he spoke with her, but nothing like it was today. Her reactions to it surprised her; she’d just professed her love, and made love to Raihan less than 24 hours ago. Was this a residual effect from that, or something more?

It was definitely something more, she decided, as Leon turned his amber eyes to hers. Her heartrate sped up as he looked at her, trying to understand just what was going on in her mind, though it was clear she didn’t understand herself. “Light…I think I owe you an explanation,” he said after some time had passed, still holding her small, dainty hand in his larger, darker one. “I didn’t fully understand it myself until yesterday. Honestly, I thought it was something I could keep to myself, that it was better to keep to myself for everyone’s sake. And really, it was fine. But yesterday, watching you tell Raihan you loved him…it tore me apart. It felt like something was eating me alive. And I think I realized…I love you too. I don’t expect you to feel the same as me, but you deserved my honesty and I can’t keep going on without telling you any longer. ”

There it was. The secret that had weighed heavy on his heart for some time now. The one thing he’d swore he’d never tell her, to protect his best friend. But his best friend had messed up and hurt the woman he loved. 

“Leon,” she said softly, looking up into the eyes, that looked at her with no restraint, no holds barred against her. Light felt her heart tear in a million directions. She didn’t know what to say. 

So instead, she closed the distance between them and kissed him.

A surprised moan escaped him as he felt her soft lips against his. He hesitated for just a moment, assessing if this was really happening, before returning the kiss, his hands moving to cup her face. Her cheeks were pink, flushed with emotion and so beautiful to him, her skin there so smooth. Her lips were so soft, moving slowly with his. Despite the slow movement, their breathing raced as if they had been moving at a much faster pace, the sensations almost overwhelmingly intense. This was everything Leon pictured a first kiss to be, so sweet and tender. Eventually, he had to break away, burying his face in her neck as he caught his breath. Light needed to do the same, though his breath, hot on her neck was equally as overwhelming. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, bringing his frame closer against her. She could feel his heart, beating just as fast as hers against her chest. 

Leon’s pants tightened around him as he felt her chest move up and down against him, the movements deep with her heavy breathing. He blushed at the response, thankful his face was hidden beneath her smooth, rosy hair. He placed soft kisses at the base of her neck, his lips only hovering over the spot at first, as if to ask her permission. Leon watched her eyes close as she released a sigh, her head leaning back slightly to give him easier access to the area. A slight flush grew over the skin, a sign of her arousal at his touch, and Leon brought his other hand down from her face to gently stroke the side of her neck that his lips weren’t touching. His lips and hand caressed her gently, as if relishing, worshipping every inch of her perfectly smooth skin that she allowed. As if this was his only chance to show her how much she meant to him through just his actions. For all he knew, this may well be his only chance. But he didn’t care. Even this was more than he’d ever hoped for in his wildest dreams, closer to her than he’d ever thought would be possible. Light was the only woman he’d ever wanted in this way, quite possibly the only woman he’d ever want. 

Heat pooled in her lower abdomen, and Light traced her fingers over the hard, smooth muscles of his sides, his back, his chest. The same areas that had been pressed against her all day, confusing her. Yet nothing was confusing now as her hands moved delicately across his body, eliciting shudders from deep within him. How had she not realized her feelings sooner? They’d always been buried within her, hiding deep within her soul, overshadowed by the fiery flirtations that had been Raihan. Her feelings for Leon were different: they were a slow burn, a feeling that grew from their intense friendship. She loved him, too. Impossible as it was, she’d loved both men all along. Once again, she threw her arms around him, hugging him to her as if she needed to feel his body the same as she needed to breathe. 

Leon didn’t hesitate this time as her circled her in his own. “Light, what…?” he started, not knowing exactly what had brought on the embrace.

“I love you,” she said, tears threatening to fall at the realization. Leon pulled away slightly, just enough to look into her green, now-wet eyes. He kissed the tears away from each one softly, still in complete and utter disbelief of the events unfolding before him. Her heart raced frantically against his chest, beating in time with his own rapid heartbeat. 

Light couldn’t wait any longer, pressing her lips back against his, more urgent this time, as her hands found the hem of his shirt, lifting it over his head, only breaking the kiss to pull the fabric past his mouth before finding his lips again with her own. His urgency matched her own quickly, his fingers tangling in her rose-gold hair, while the other moved to press into her lower back, bringing her even closer against him. He shuddered, yelping softly against her lips as her fingers found his thighs, running her hands up and down them. She smiled against his lips, realizing she’d found a sensitive area for him, but was careful not to overwhelm him too much as she explored the muscles there, firm from the countless hours he’d spent riding Charizard and training his body to its current perfection. His tan skin fit snugly over the muscles, its only imperfection being the scar he’d shown her the previous night from Charmander. 

The realization made her hesitate as Leon’s hands reached the hem of her shirt. “I’m sorry, we can stop,” he apologized immediately, straightening up. No matter how much he wanted of her in that moment, he’d never push past what she was comfortable with.

She shook her head. “It’s not that. It’s just…your body is so perfect. All you’ve got is the scar from Charmander. And well…my entire body is a walking set of scars, scrapes and bruises. And I haven’t trained in months.” In her absence of working out, Light had felt some of her features soften, something she was suddenly conscious of with the perfectly sculpted man in front of her. 

His features softened, relieved he hadn’t pushed her too far. “If you’re not comfortable, then we don’t have to,” he said gently, cupping her face as his amber eyes looked into hers with love and acceptance. “But just know, no scar, bruise or scrape will ever make me love you any less. It’ll never make me think of you as any less beautiful than you are now. I may not like the pan you had to go through to get them,” he traced the leg with the scars from the poison as he said this. “Especially this one right here.” He shuddered, remembering the sound of her screams. They haunted him, if only he could have reached her moments sooner. “But they’re a part of your past, and who you are. And I love you. Besides, I’d love you whether you were as thin as an Inteleon, or built like a Rhyperior. I love you for who you are, not your body. Though, I will say your body drives me wild.”

That was all the encouragement she needed as she returned to the kiss, using his hair as leverage to bring him back to her, twisting her fingers in his soft purple mane as she straddled him. He moaned at her soft tugs, and she realized she’d discovered another particular sensitivity of the man in her arms. This time she didn’t pause when he lifted her (or rather, his) shirt from her body, exposing her torso, covered only by the same lacy bra she’d worn the previous day. Leon marveled at her body, taking in the parts of her he’d never seen before. Although Light most often wore crop tops, exposing her stomach most of the time, she was careful in the locker room, waiting until everyone else had left to change. As he looked her over, he did his best to be respectful of her chest, trying not to stare too much at her breasts, almost completely exposed to him. His excitement twitched yet again and he blushed a deep shade of red as he realized that Light could feel it against her bottom this time. His lips fumbled to form an apology, but her lips were on his again, kissing him softly once again. And, once again, their hearts raced inexplicably at the slow, sweet movement of their lips locked together. As they shared more of themselves with each other, each kiss took on a new, intensified meaning, taking on the budding love between them. 

Still straddling him, Light began to rock her hips against his ever so slightly, slowly, as if testing the feel of their bodies together. Both trainers moaned, and Leon met her slow, sensuous movements with his own. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing, but he followed her lead, following his instincts and her body language, which currently told him he was doing the right thing. His mind was still reeling: was this really happening? He couldn’t believe she wanted him the same way he’d wanted her for so long. His hands moved back to their earlier positions, one tangled in her rose-gold hair and the other around her, only this time he seated his hand just above her rear, his fingers barely tracing the tops of it. Goodness, she felt so good against him. His lips moved to her neck, gently nipping at her skin along with his gentle kisses. Leon paid attention to the spots that made her moan softly, focusing on them to elicit the sound from her again and again. Oh, how he loved her sounds. He loved her. He wanted her. Moving his hands yet again, he began to trace her thighs, careful not to touch the still-sensitive wounds from the poison. Her legs were mostly bare, the fabric of his shorts had shifted up to her upmost thighs as she rocked against him. The skin there was so smooth, so toned as she used them as leverage to move her hips against him. His hands continued their exploration of her legs, wanting to find the areas that made her swoon when he touched them.

It didn’t take long before he found it. The spot that made her squirm was on the bottom of her thigh, just above the bend at her knee. Light liked that Leon took the liberty to explore her, attending to what made her tick, discovering it for himself, rather than relying on previous experience or assumption. He was managing to discover spots that she herself didn’t even know could feel so sensitive, so alive. She wanted more of it, more of his tenderness and love. Carefully, she slid her fingers over the edge of his waistband, tracing the skin of his lower stomach that rested just above the fabric. The muscles there tightened, and she could feel his excitement twitch yet again. This was it: a deciding moment for the two of them.

“Lee, I love you, I need you,” she whispered, turning her wide green eyes on him, questioningly. There was no doubt in her face, her resolve for what she wanted was clear: him. The words themselves weren’t a question, but Leon could tell by the way she was gazing at him, holding her body still as she waited for him to answer, that she was asking if this was what he wanted. 

He answered her with a kiss, guiding her hands to slide his pants below his waist. He’d never wanted anything more in his life, not even his desire to become champion was as strong as his current desire to make love to the woman he loved. Deep down, he knew that she may not end up with him after tonight, that she could decide he wasn’t the one for her. But, for tonight, she loved him as he loved her, and that was all that mattered in this very moment. 

When his pants were off, Leon gently lifted her to the bed, laying her beneath him, hovering over her to kiss her as his hands worked gently, slowly on undoing her bra while also exploring her body beneath him until only his shorts on her remained between them. He left them there  
for awhile, relishing in more sweet kisses. He’d never get enough of the taste of her sweet mouth, never tire of the feel of her soft, pillowy lips on his, or the sounds she made when he found the right spot on her body. Light, as well, enjoyed the slow, sensual burn between them, discovering the former champion’s body in ways she’d never imagined herself doing. She accepted the tender kissed, wanting this moment to be never-ending just as much as he did. Her hand trailed down to his hardness, stroking slowly as she explored the feeling of him. Not fast or full enough of pressure to bring him to the edge, but just enough to get him moaning, sighing her name against her lips. 

After some time of kissing and exploring each other’s bodies, Leon carefully removed his shorts from her body, noting that she hadn’t worn any underwear under the outfit. Though she likely just hadn’t had any that were clean, the bareness of skin under his clothing drove him wild. Now completely bare to him as he was to her, she was absolutely beautiful. She was the first woman he’d ever seen naked, ever been naked with, yet she would easily forever be the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. Blood pooled in her cheeks, blushing as he took her in. He was looking at her like a man who’d been trapped inside his entire life taking his first steps into the outdoors. The passion and love with which he looked at her was almost overwhelmingly powerful; she couldn’t look away from the golden eyes that met hers with such certainty. 

The only thing Leon wasn’t certain of was his own movements at her core; he let his body’s intuition and her body guide him as he slowly entered her. “Oh, Lee,” she moaned softly as his member slid into her with ease. Despite his impressive size, her body was so ready, so wanting for him. He moaned at the feel of her around him, his breath catching in his throat. No matter how many times he’d imagined it, his imagination never felt this heavenly, this intense. “I love you,” he whispered again as he’d reached the entirety of himself within her, before starting to slowly move himself in and out. The sensation caused both of them to moan. Feeling bold, his hand continued to roam her body, gently massaging her breast in his hands as he continued his slow, delicious thrusts into her core. With each movement, she could feel all of him, hitting what she imagined must have been the back of the walls inside her. She found that his thrusts didn’t need to come fast to be intense, and incredibly pleasurable. Each drawn-out, intimate movement filled her, rubbing against her in just the right ways. 

This, in its purest form, was what making love is, she realized.

Emotion ran through her as she wrapped her arms around Leon’s shoulders, bringing his body closer to hers, feeling the rest of his body on her and in her. “I love you too,” she said. The words still surprised her, the newly discovered feeling something she hadn’t been anticipating before today. Now it was undeniable, almost unbearable within her. Light pressed her lips to his neck for the first time, kissing and sucking gently at the skin there. The sensation made him shudder, the movement echoing through his body, all the way down to where he was buried within her, incredible to the both of them. She continued to gently suck on his neck, suppressing her own moans of pleasure as his movements rocked against her clit. A tiny red mark was left on the skin there; she’d given her first hickey, leaving a temporary mark on him. 

Leon could feel the slight soreness at the spot, glad his usual collar from his red coat would most likely hide the mark. He gently guided her mouth slightly lower to his collarbone, where any mark she made was sure to be hidden. Light understood, continuing her motions of kissing, biting and sucking where she could make as many spots as she wanted on his smooth, tan skin that blossomed for just for her. She gently tugged on his nipple with her teeth, exploring the different ways his body reacted for her. He jerked suddenly, moaning at the contact, the reaction more intense than he’d expected. This, paired with the hair that tangled in his wild purple mane lit his body on fire, bringing him closer to the edge. He brought his hips in and out of hers three more slow, sensual times before finding his release within her, crying out her name like a prayer as the euphoria overtook his body. Both of them were covered in a thin layer of perspiration as he sank down beside her on the bed, catching his breath and calming down from the pleasure that had washed over him. 

Once he had, he turned to look at Light, her expression, loving contented, but still filled with lust, anticipation. She hadn’t finished yet, he realized, blushing as he also realized he didn’t know exactly what to do, although he had a general idea. “I want to make you feel good too,” he said to her, looking at her expression for any sign of discomfort as he said his next words: “I’ve never…” he swallowed, looking at her entrance, which was now swollen from him having been inside of her. “Will you show me what to do?”

Her heart swooned for the consideration, the eagerness in his face to please her as she guided his hand to her clit. She showed him how she liked to massage herself, firm but not rough, and released her hand to let him explore her. The moans that escaped her lips told him he was doing well enough. Their lovemaking just prior had done a number on the area, making it easy for him to bring her to the edge. She called his name, moaning as orgasm hit her in a wave of pleasure, collapsing against his body, now lying next to her. Both trainers lie there for several minutes, legs and arms intertwined as they struggled to catch their breath from the overwhelming experience, an occasional chorus of ‘I love you,” whispered by one of them was the only thing besides their mangled breath to echo through the room for awhile. 

Light was thankful that Leon gave her the chance to explore her own feelings, while also not shutting her out and leaving her by herself in the process. His arms remained around her as she thought about what this meant. Of course, she still loved and was hurt by Raihan, the events were still fresh and new to her, and she was unsure if she would give the Gym Leader a chance to open up to her, to realize his mistake. Did he deserve that chance when she had someone who had bared every part of himself to her, and she him? She wasn’t even sure if things could go back to the way they had been with Raihan, now that she knew of her feelings for Leon. But, what did that mean for Leon? Was she ready to be in a new relationship with the former champion? And what if she did choose to be with Raihan after today? Would Raihan want to be with her after he knew what she’d done with his best friend? Could she love either of them fully if a part of her loved the other? Did Leon even want a relationship, or was this something else to him?

There were too many questions, the conflict emotions were overwhelming her until the tears spilled from her eyes. “I’m sorry Leon,” she sobbed into his chest as he held her. “I’m sorry that I don’t know what I want. I never expected to love you too.”

Leon pulled her closer against his chest, holding her as she cried. Comforting her, as he always did, and always would as long as she let him. Her words didn’t surprise or hurt him; he’d known going into today that things wouldn’t be simple. “I’ll wait for you, as long as it takes you to decide what you need, forever if that’s what it takes,” he assured her. “And I’m sorry too. I put you in this situation.” If there was anything he regretting from sleeping with Light, it was any pain he caused her.

She shook her head. “Don’t be.” It was her turn to do the reassuring. “I would have figured it out eventually, and maybe at a time where it was too late. I don’t regret what we did tonight.” That much, she was sure of.

He kissed her forehead, relieved he hadn’t crossed any boundaries, or pushed her too far. In the morning, they decided, he would return to Wyndon while she stayed here to train and to clear her head, figuring out what she really wanted. But, for tonight, they held each other, taking in every moment that could be their last like this together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Whew... that was intense. I'm officially at the point where I'm not sure what Light's going to do. How does one choose between two very different, but beautiful and amazing men like Raihan and Leon? Or will she choose neither? We'll see what our rosy-haired Champion does. It'll probably take me slightly longer to get the next chapters out until I figure out what Light's plan is. Or I might make alternate endings.


	14. The Waves of Emotion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided I'm going to write four separate chapters just on how the characters are feeling, and what they're doing as Light makes her choice: two for Light, one Raihan and one Leon chapter, before going into the endgame. So this is the first of how Light is dealing with everything.

A week had gone by since Leon left the Isle of Armor. Their goodbye had been incredibly emotional, unsure of what the future held. Light still remembered the way he’d kissed her goodbye, hard yet tender, as if he was both saying hello to new possibilities and a potential goodbye to their love. He’d called her when he’d landed back in Wyndon to tell her that he was safe. Leon told her that he loved her, how he’d think of her every second of every day until she returned. He reiterated how he’d wait as long as it took, and put all of his feelings on the line. And of course, per the good man that he was, he respected her wishes of some time alone, though she had to admit it had been hard not to text the former champion on some days when something reminded her of him, or when her daily run brought her to the crumbled Tower of Darkness that the students of the dojo worked to put back together. Leon had sent some of her clothes in the mail, with a single piece of paper that had a heart drawn on it, which she kept on her bedside table.

She’d also texted Raihan that same day.

Light:  
There are some things I need to say to you, but first I need some time to think. Please don’t try to find me or contact me. That will only make this harder.

Raihan:  
I love you, be safe.

I love you, be safe, Light mused in her head as she did her daily stretches on a bluff that overlooked the beach near the dojo. She’d been thinking about his last text to her that week. In all honesty, Light was glad he’d respected her wishes, yet his response had left her feeling unsatisfied. After everything, was that really all he could say? 

She sighed, trying to focus on her stretches, balancing on her left leg to regain some strength in the muscles that had been damanged when she heard footsteps approach. “Mind if I join you?” Klara asked, her usually styled hair thrown back into a messy bun as she donned her poison uniform outfit and a sports bra. Her Slowbro trailed behind, peering anxiously at Light’s Dragapult, who floated calmly in its own meditative state. 

“Sure,” Light said, relieved for some company to take her away from her own thoughts, or at least to help her sift through them. Everyone at the dojo could sense that something serious was going on with her; some of them had even witnessed brief moments of her emotional goodbye with Leon. And, just as the two men in her life had, everyone at the dojo respected her space, letting her sit with her thoughts until she was ready. And today, she was ready. 

As they went for Light’s daily run together, with Klara slowing her pace to match Light’s slower, injured one, Light recalled the events that had transpired between the two men, and vocalized as much of her feelings for them as she could. Uncharacteristically for the poison-type trainer, she didn’t interrupt, letting Light finish all of her thoughts before speaking. “Okay, I’ve got to know though, which one was better…you know?” the other girl giggled.

Light shot her a glare, as if to say, ‘not helping’, and Klara sobered. “But in all seriousness though, I think you definitely need to talk to both of them. You probably need to tell Raihan about Leon, if he hasn’t figured it out by the time you go back, although it sounds to me like if he’s still not opening up that it’s kind of a dealbreaker. Though, I will say the day we flew to the Tundra to save you, he was a right mess. I had to help talk him down from an anxiety attack before he could tell me what was going on. Dragon boy definitely loves you.”

“But that’s not enough,” Light protested. “He wouldn’t even open up to me about these anxiety attacks, this is literally the first I’m hearing of it. It would be different if he could tell me something, anything. But Rai…he won’t even tell me why he’s afraid to open up in the first place. He’s kept things from me, thinking it was for my own good. And if he has this much trouble telling me even things that have happened from the past, how do I know he won’t just clam up and shut me out the second things go wrong again? I can’t spend forever fighting with him to get him to tell me what’s wrong. That’s too much to put on me.” She had worked this much out in her head over the past week, and her opinions on the matter were clearer now as she said them aloud. “And even if he does open up to me as soon as I get back, I don’t know that I can trust it right away to get immediately back together with him. I think…I’d want to see what he does moving forward, not just looking back.”

“And what about Leon?” Klara asked, trying to help the Champion draw the answer out for herself.

“I love Leon,” she admitted. “He’s one of my best friends. I didn’t realize it until the night we…” she trailed off, hoping Klara got the point. “He’s told me everything, never had a single problem opening up to me. He understands what’s going on in my mind, and I understand a lot of what he’s going through as well. He’s so…attentive, supportive. I never wanted to drag him into any of this or hurt him. He’s so sweet, so thoughtful. Everything felt so right with him.”

“So doesn’t that mean Leon is the easier of the choices?”

The bluntness of the question made Light flinch. In theory, it did; Leon was the easier choice. He was better for her, opened up to her. But love didn’t necessarily work that way. “I love Leon, but I also love Raihan. If I choose Lee, I don’t know if I’d be able to give him everything he deserved. And same thing for if I chose Raihan. I was with Rai first, so does that mean I owe it to him to try to make it work first, if he does open up?”

Klara stopped, putting a hand on Light’s shoulder. The poison trainer was unceremoniously serious. “You don’t owe anything to anyone, Light. Follow your heart, but be honest with yourself, and the guys. They’ll understand whatever you need.”

“Thanks,” Light said, feeling surprisingly better. Klara was surprisingly insightful today, for someone who acted more often in her own self-interest than she did for others. They finished their run together, chatting more casually now about the Galarian Stars Tournament and the intense battles that she’d missed while in recovery. Klara and Hop had done pretty well as a team, even winning a few matches. They’d grown close during Hop’s time at the dojo and had helped each other grow. Light saw a peculiar twinkle in the poison type trainer’s eyes, noting that there may be more between the two of them than friendship. 

Light spent some time over the several following days helping Mustard and the students at the dojo to rebuild the Tower of Darkness. With her arm and leg still on the mend, she avoided lifting heavy objects, often hammering nails to prespecified places on the walls or laying cement for someone else to place a brick on top of. This tower would clearly end up being different than its twin- the Tower of Water, but they worked with the materials they had. In the two weeks she’d been at the dojo, they’d saved what they could of the first floor and made great progress on the second. Honey often brought snacks and food for everyone working. Light, who hadn’t been hungry much in the past weeks, often picked around her food rather than consuming it. 

“Light, will you walk with me back to the dojo today? It seems I’m having a little trouble carrying everything today,” Honey asked on a day that she’d felt particularly affected by her currently predicament. She agreed, seeing as she’d been too distracted to be of any real help around the tower that day. Today, her heart yearned for the men she loved, wanting to be near   
them, and unsure who her heart was tugging her towards more, but she knew she missed joking around with them, flirting with Raihan and confiding in Leon. Her body and heart ached for their touch and to know that she’d made the right choice in her partner when she made it. 

Another part of her felt that she needed to tell Raihan what had happened with Leon. She wasn’t ready to make her decision, or return to her hotel suite in Wyndon, but she was sure that he needed to know. Light hadn’t anticipated in staying at the dojo for so long: her initial expectations had been a few days at most, no more than a week. But the more she stayed and realized her body and mind weren’t ready to return, the more she realized she needed to be open with him and give him a chance to be open with her. If she did this, she also knew she’d need to contact Leon and warn him that she was going to come clean to Raihan. She wasn’t yet sure if she wanted to text and call the former Champion. On one hand, she missed him, but on the other, hearing his voice might make her beg him to come see her and be with her, which wasn’t what she needed right now. Leon, as much as she wanted to see him, wasn’t the loose end that needed tying up. Her conversation with Raihan would be for the point of putting everything out in the open, giving him the chance to do the same. It wouldn’t be for catching up or physical affection, even if he did open himself up to her. That would provoke the same problem that inviting Leon to the Island for a social call would.

Honey spoke just then, pulling Light from her thoughts. They’d walked quite a distance from the tower already, something she only noticed now that she was no longer lost in thought. The woman’s blue eyes looked at her with concern. “Dear, we can all tell there’s been something heavy on your mind lately. I’ve been around the block a few times, maybe I can help?”

Light sighed, grateful for the care and concern for the motherly figure. “I’m in love with two men,” she admitted, cutting right to the chase. “One of them, the one who I fell in love with first- or at least who I was with first- won’t open up to me. I can’t be with someone I can’t trust, and who won’t trust me. And the other man, he’s been amazing. He opens up to me without me ever having to ask, he’s attentive, and he’s done nothing but respect me the entire time I’ve known him. But with him…it’s so new. Or, the realization is anyway. Truth is, I don’t know when my feelings for him began. It’s possible they’ve been there all along without me knowing it, but I’ve only been able to start processing it as of last week. I need to talk to the first man and tell him about my feelings for the second and give him a chance to open up to me before I can make a fair choice. It’s…just going to be hard. How he acted hurt me, and we didn’t leave things on the best note.”

The older woman put an arm around her shoulders as they walked. “Love is…complicated,” she agreed. “I wish I could give you a fair and unbiased answer on who to choose, although I think you know how partial I am to Leon, so it wouldn’t be fair. So my advice instead is to do what your heart tells you to do. If you do what you think is expected, or is what you think others will view as the right choice, you won’t be happy. And just because someone was your first doesn’t mean they need to be your last.”

Light hugged Honey as they reached the dojo. “Thank you,” she said, happy she’d sought the confidence of the older woman. It had steeled her resolve, prepared her for what she needed to do. Taking her Rotom Phone out of her pocket, she texted Raihan.

Light:  
Meet me at the Isle of Armor whenever you can. There are a few things I need to say to you before I can make a decision about what I want. 

Raihan:  
I’m leaving now, I’ll be there in a few hours.

She sighed, dialing the next number, deciding to video call Leon as opposed to texting him.

“Hi Light,” he said cheerfully as he answered, smiling at her face, which had begun to tan in the light of the Isle. “Are you doing okay?”

“I’m working on it,” she said honestly. “I miss you,” she added. 

“I miss you too,” he said softly.

“Lee, I’m calling because I decided I needed to tell Raihan about what happened between us. I can’t make a decision unless everything is out in the open. You were right when you said it was important that I talk to him. He deserves a chance to open up to me, too. It’s not going to be… a particularly easy conversation. But, I thought you deserved to know what was happening, in case he…”

“Doesn’t take it very well,” Leon finished the sentence for her. “I appreciate the heads up,” he said in earnest. 

Light gave in slightly to her desire to talk with him just a little longer. “How’s everything in Wyndon?” She asked.

Leon smiled. “Things are running smoothly here. People miss their Champion, but I’ve told the press that your body needed some time to heal after your accident and then the run-ins with Oleana and Rose. Everyone seemed to understand just fine.”

His gesture made her swoon. Leon hated lying, much less to his fans. Of course, her healing her body in the Isle of Armor wasn’t a complete lie, and more of a slight omission of truth, but it meant a lot to her that he covered for her, keeping her private life out of the spotlight. “Thanks Lee,” she said, taking in the sight of his amber eyes and serene face. “I’ve gotta go, Rai’s going to be here soon, but I love you.”

“I love you too Light.”

While she waited for Raihan to arrive, Light sat on Challenge beach, staring out at the waves, which provided a calming sensation for her. Water types weren’t typically her specialty, though she did occasionally use her Blastoise, yet something about the calm rocking of the sea had always been a relief for her, having come out to this beach many times during her first visit to the island. Her conversation with Leon had stirred up just as much emotion as she’d anticipated- a lot. The feelings she’d felt the night they slept together hadn’t weakened- they’d only grown in the past two weeks. Which wasn’t unexpected. Light did her best to clear her mind before Raihan arrived, closing her eyes and focusing on the sound of the waves before her.

A soft flap of wings and the thud of a landing told alerted her to his arrival. “Hello, Raihan,” she said, still with her eyes closed and not facing him, though she could sense as he walked to stand next to her.

“Light…” he said softly. She could feel his eyes on her. Taking one more deep breath, her eyes opened and turned to face him. 

His cerulean eyes met hers directly, still guarded, as she’d expected, but she could see notes of pain and love still behind them as the Gym Leader dug his hands into his hoodie pockets, tapping his foot on the ground awkwardly. He was every bit as strikingly handsome as she’d remembered, every line of his features the same as what had constantly plagued her mind. Her love for him still flowed strongly throughout her body, as equally strong in its own way as her love for Leon, although pain accompanied the feeling. Raihan sat on the sand, facing her. He was quiet, waiting for her to start the conversation. Not the start she’d been secretly hoping for.

“Rai…I have some things I need to tell you. I think you deserve to hear them, and you deserve a chance to tell me anything you want me to hear. I want to hear you out, but I think you can only speak your real truth once you hear what I have to say.”

When he didn’t say anything, Light swallowed, and continued. “You hurt me, Raihan. I gave you everything I had to give, and you still couldn’t even meet me partway. What was worse, you couldn’t even tell me why you wouldn’t open up to me. If you had at least done that much, maybe things would be different, but now they’ve happened the way they did, and neither of us can change that. That night, after I left and went back to Wyndon, I ended up at Leon’s-“ she saw him wince at the name. “I needed a friend, someone to distract me from how much you’d hurt me. Nothing happened…that night, although we fell asleep together. There was some trouble here on the island, so we flew here together to come help, which we did. We found Oleana and Rose. They bombed the Tower of Darkness and Leon saved me by throwing us out of the tower onto Charizard. Without him…I would have had the same fate as the tower, which collapsed. We…” she took another deep breath. “We slept together. Rai, I want you to know it was never about getting back at you, or revenge in any way. I’m not sure how long I’ve had these feelings for…but I realized I love him too. I never wanted to drag him, or even you for that matter, into something like this. But I can’t undo what happened, and I can’t pretend my feelings aren’t there, because they are.”

It was then that Raihan broke her gaze, looking out towards the sea. The sun was beginning to set, and the pain was clear on his as the light reflected off his sharp features. She let him process, an array of emotions played out across his features: regret, anger, sadness. Before the events two weeks ago had transpired, she would have gone to him, wrapped her arms around his waist or shoulders and comforted him. The urge to do this ran through her body, but she denied it. That wasn’t the purpose of today. “I’m sorry if that hurts you,” she continued. “But I’m not sorry that it happened. I think I would have figured out my feelings eventually. I don’t know when, and I don’t know where, but I wouldn’t have remained oblivious forever.”

“Does that mean you’re choosing to be with him, then?” he asked, still not meeting her gaze. It was a fair question, although she didn’t like the guarded tone in his voice as he spoke. 

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I still love you too, despite how much you’ve hurt me. But I can’t decide unless I know whether or not I trust you, or if you even still want me after what I’ve just told you. So this is your chance, Rai. I’m not going to consider someone who I can’t trust. If you walk away now, without opening up to me, then you’ve made my choice easy. But if you can prove that I can trust you, then we might still have a chance.”

“A chance,” he mused. “As in, you’d be choosing between me and Lee.”

She nodded, staying silent. Internally, she wanted to go to him, hugging him and telling him that she was sorry for the position she was putting him in, that she’d never wanted to hurt him in this way. Of all the things that Raihan had caused, her love for Leon wasn’t his fault. But some of this situation was his responsibility. Giving in to any of her desires now would only rob him of the chance to own up to it.

Raihan was silent for a moment, keeping his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and squinting out into the sunset. The pink and orange hues, much like they had on their first date, lit up his dark features so beautifully. His bright blue eyes were a stark contrast to the colors around him, even with most of his irises covered by his squint. Light let him think as he took his time to collect his thoughts and form the words he wanted to give her.

A few moments passed before he spoke. “Light... I still love you, no matter what happened between you and Lee. I’m not going to lie, it hurts like a bitch knowing that you love him too, but it doesn’t make me love you any less. And…for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for how I hurt you. You told me everything and I clammed up like a fucking Shellder. You deserve the truth.”

He sighed, continuing. “Truth is, I don’t open up to people because I’m scared to lose them. My parents were the first and only people I was completely open with. When they died…it crushed me. And Light…I almost lost you. Not once, but twice. It scared me so much, the thought of losing you. I worried that if I was vulnerable with you, let you in completely, that I’d lose you like I did my parents. Same with everyone else in my life: Lee, Nessa, Hop, everyone. And you…you have a knack for danger, Light, more so than anyone I’ve ever met. The person I care about most of all, and you’re constantly in danger from being taken away from me. I don’t know how you get into so much fucking danger all the time,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re such a badass. I always found it so hot how you rushed into danger and met it head on, always kicking it in the ass. But it also gave me night terrors. I’d wake up screaming, thinking I’d lost you. I never wanted you, or anyone else to see me like that. Anxiety doesn’t exactly fit with the image of being Galar’s strongest Gym Leader.”

“What about not wanting to stay with me? Rai, that hurt me the most. I’d just given you literally all I had to give, and it was like you couldn’t stand to be close to me.” Tears fell from Light’s face now, as they did for Raihan. He was opening up to her fully now, giving her exactly what she’d wanted from him two weeks ago. 

He cleared his throat. “I was an asshole,” he admitted. “Sleeping with someone-physically sleeping…I’ve never done that with anyone. Sleeping makes everyone so vulnerable, and with my night terrors, it was too much. But I should have told you. I was a fucking idiot. I’m sorry Light.”

The pain in his voice was so clear it made her heart ache. “How do I know you wouldn’t just shut me out again the moment something goes wrong, the moment you start to worry?”

Raihan looked back down at his feet, sighing. “You don’t,” he said honestly. “I don’t. I know now that I need to be more open with you, and that I’m going to at the very least tell you why I’m not ready to tell you something. I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect with something I’ve never done.”

She sighed. “Rai, I’m not asking you to be perfect, I just need you to give me something, anything. You know everything about me, and I feel like I’ve known nothing about you. You’ve never even told me about your parents, or, for that matter, that they weren’t alive anymore. I just need to know that I can trust you. I’ve given you no reason not to trust me, but I wish you’d give me just something to hold on to.”

“You’re right. You deserve that. And I promise to try be more open with you, to try and someone you can trust. Ask me anything, and I’ll tell it to you. I love you. I love you so fucking much. I was such an idiot.” 

His soft sobs followed the words, and much like it had earlier with Leon, Light’s resolve broke; she crossed the few steps between her and Raihan, wrapping him in her arms and kissing him. His lips, in returned kissed her like they were pleading, begging for her to forgive him, to never let him go. His kisses were determined, passionate against her lips. She could feel tears between their cheeks, unsure of whose eyes they fell from. Much like her parting with Leon two weeks ago, the embrace felt like both an open door and a goodbye. He’d finally given her what she needed; but was it already too late?

As the sun finished setting over the sea, Light stepped out of his arms, backing away to get a final look at the other man she loved before turning back towards the dojo. Her tears fell freely until she reached the guest bedroom of the building, falling into a restless and uneasy sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Raihan's opened up to her, and she's going to be faced with a tough choice. I'm kinda sad we're getting to the end of this XD


	15. Raihan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is a little shorter, but since a lot of Raihan's feelings were wrapped up the previous chapter with Light, I felt there there was a little less to say.

Raihan was lost in thought as he flew away from the Isle of Armor on the back of his Flygon, lost in thought of the events that had just transpired. He’d opened up to Light, sharing all of, at the very least, his current anxieties. Yet there was still a chance that he would lose her, all because of how badly he’d fucked up after they’d had sex. If he’d only stayed with her, or even so much as told her why he couldn’t stay, then maybe she’d be back in his castle with him, in his arms. Maybe she wouldn’t have ended up needing to confide in his best friend, or even still, wouldn’t have ended up having sex with him. All he could do now was wait for her to make her choice. And by the pain in her eyes, it would be a decision that took time and wouldn’t be easy for her. A choice she never should have had to make in the first place, if it hadn’t been for his stupidity, Raihan thought. 

Tears streaked his vision enough that he probably shouldn’t have been flying, but fuck it, he’d thought, he needed to go home.

No, not home, he realized as he navigated Flygon in the opposite direction of Hammerlocke: Wyndon was his destination. Light, he could forgive for sleeping with Leon. It was Leon, on the other hand, who he wasn’t sure he could ever forgive for sleeping with her. It didn’t matter that they were technically broken up at the time; Leon was his best friend, a best friend who’d made a promise to never go after his girl. What had happened to the, ‘It’s not a big deal and I’ll get over it’ attitude he’d had when she was in the hospital, and any time before that? 

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. How dare he? Leon had watched him run to her in the castle after Calyrex had saved them, he’d watched Raihan tell Light he loved her, and she to him. 

When Raihan arrived at the hotel in Wyndon, he’d stormed through the entryway doors, through the halls until he reached Leon’s suited, to which he practically broke down the already unlocked door. He’d been ready, fists pulled back into position to hit the former champion. 

Instead, when he saw his best friend, his body relaxed, stopping in surprise at the purple-haired male’s state of being. Leon lay on his bed, clothed in his typical champion jersey. His cap lay on the floor, crumpled as if it had been thrown and left there for quite some time. He was cuddling Light’s Growlithe, who he’d clearly been asked to take care of in her absence. What ultimately stopped Raihan, however, were the tears that fell from Leon’s eyes, the soft sniffles that signaled he’d been in this state for quite some time. His eyes were closed, but swollen and red from constantly being wiped. His best friend, Raihan realized, was in no better shape than he. 

“You love her too,” Raihan said aloud, the realization hitting him. He’d been so blind to his best friend’s feelings.

“Rai… I’m sorry,” Leon said, his eyes still closed as his arms tightened around the fire type Pokemon. “I promised I wouldn’t go after her and I… I don’t know what happened. When she told you she loved you, it felt like I was being shattered into a million pieces.”

Raihan nodded in understanding. He’d felt the same today. Leon continued. “I wasn’t planning to do anything about it, I swear. But when she came to me, and then when she told me she felt the same, all I could think about was how much I love her. That’s all I can think about. Or it was, until she called me today to tell me she was going to talk to you. And then all I could think about was how much of an awful friend I was to you.”

“You were,” Raihan said bluntly. “Don’t think I’m not pissed as hell, man, because I am. I came in here ready to beat you to a pulp. But I can’t say that I don’t understand. Hell, I’ve done nothing but mope around the castle. Nessa even came by to make sure I was alive. She’s worried about Light too. I think she’s going to visit Light if she hasn’t returned within the next week.”

“Do you think she’d stop by here and grab Growlithe? He misses his trainer and I think she probably needs him more than we do right now.”

The dragon-type trainer looked doubtfully at his best friend. Given Leon’s current state, he wasn’t quite so sure, although Light herself had been incredibly emotional at their goodbye. He wondered silently if parting with Leon had been equally as emotional. Did she love the former champion as strongly as she’d loved him? Who’d made her body feel better, more right? Surely, Leon, who had barely so much as looked at a woman before, couldn’t be that great of a lover. He shook his head, who was he kidding? Sex to him had never felt the way it did when it was with her, despite her inexperience in the area as well. The tricks he’d learned over the years were but a mere drop in the ocean compared to the effects of love between two people. Besides that, if he let himself give in to every jealous thought, he’d drive himself absolutely fuck all until Light made her choice. 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Raihan answered, realizing his thoughts had interrupted him from answering Leon’s question. “I think… it’s going to be awhile before she knows what she needs.”

“So you opened up to her today then,” Leon said. It wasn’t a question. Light really had confided in him with everything that happened. “I’m proud of you Rai.”

Raihan squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why did Leon have to be so fucking good? It was one thing to compete with someone you hated or didn’t even know over a girl. But his best friend, and probably the most caring soul in Galar? That made this all the more difficult. “How was she when you left the island?” He asked, the curiosity getting the better of him.

One of Leon’s hands moved to his lips, as if remembering his last kiss with her, and Raihan knew their goodbye had been every bit as emotional as the one he’d shared with her today. “It was… hard,” Leon admitted. “She was conflicted even before you opened up to her. Before we, er, slept together, when she sought my advice, I encouraged her to talk to you. I’m almost surprised she did, although I’m sure a lot of that had to do with what happened, well, after I’d already given her that advice.” Pink washed over Leon’s face, a hint of a smile behind his lips at the memory. A small wave of anger washed over Raihan. Not anger, he realized, jealousy. Raihan’s first time had been something he thought about, smiled about in the same way, only his had been with someone he didn’t care about in the slightest. Leon’s first time, however, had been with the woman he loved, and the woman Raihan loved, no less. He threw the former champ’s discarded cap at him, startling the Growlithe, who dismissed the Gym Leader. The Pokemon’s loyalties surely had changed quickly. 

“Sorry,” Leon mumbled, his face growing redder as he put his cap on to try to hide some of the expression from Raihan. “You really hurt her,” he continued on a more somber note. “If she chooses you… I hope you know that you have a lot to make up for.”

“I know that,” Raihan snapped, his expression turning to a glare towards the man on the bed, who regarded him as if he hadn’t spent the past two weeks doing absolutely nothing but wallowing in the mistakes he’d made, regretting the things he’d done to hurt her. The guilt had hit him so hard he’d barely been able to function. He’d even eaten the soft pretzels with the frosting just to feel something of hers. He’d looked through all of the nightgowns she’d worn, specifically the one he’d dressed her into that first night. He’d slept in her bed to have her scent near him, only to spiral deeper into the depression when her aroma had been replaced with his own.

“Hey man,” Raihan said after the two men shared several minutes of silence. “Are we cool?”

“I think so,” Leon said, turning his amber eyes up to the Gym Leader for the first time that evening. For the first time that night, they looked like they were filled with hope. The same feeling flooded Raihan. “I’ll respect whatever Light decides, as long as you promise not to hurt her.”

“Right back atcha,” Raihan agreed, smiling slightly. The two trainers were going to be okay after all.

Raihan returned to Hammerlocke, his heart much lighter than it had been before he’d left for the Isle of Armor. He returned to his duties around the city, and even the occasional Galarian Stars tournament in Wyndon, though neither him nor Leon were ready to be partners quite yet. This was mostly due to both men not wanting all of Galar to see the not-quite-right dynamic between the two, particularly with plenty of media surrounding their Champion’s absence. This was the least they could do to respect her privacy. 

When he wasn’t busy with his Hammerlocke duties or the tournament, Raihan was working on his latest project: a journal that he’d begun to fill with random things. He started it initially as a place to write down some things about him that he hadn’t told yet, ranging from childhood stories, to stories about his Gym Challenge, but eventually he began to write down things about his day and what he was thinking too, almost like a real journal. It had become his outlet, a coping mechanism when he missed her, or worried about what she would do. Raihan found that it was easy to express himself in this way, writing it down to himself first before sharing it with the woman he loved. 

‘I battled in the Galarian Stars Tournament today for the first time since you and I battled together. I’ve gotta say, it’s not the same without you there. The battles don’t shine as bright and my Pokemon aren’t as motivated to beat our opponents or help our partner the way they do for you and your team. I miss coming into the locker room and having our silly arguments. Those were the highlight of my day. I think the moment I started really falling in love with you was the moment you turned that shower on me. You were so beautiful, and sexy when you were mad. I couldn’t get enough of it. I miss seeing your face as you take down an opponent- like you’re sad the other person had to lose, but proud of your team at the same time. I miss your Corviknight- I don’t care what you say, I think I was growing on him towards the end there. Mostly, I just miss you. Come back to me soon. Even if it’s just as your friend, I’m a little lost without you.’

‘Today was a tougher one. It would have been my mom’s 60th birthday today. I miss her so much. She was short- shorter than you even. Everyone was shocked to see her with my dad, who was over 7 feet tall and had a full 2 feet on her height. Thank fuck I take after my dad. She wasn’t exclusively a dragon-type trainer, but she did take me flying on her Flygon a lot. My best memories with her are when we were flying together. And when she introduced me to Flygon. The little guy was just a Trapinch in an egg at the time. Said if I could take care of the egg, she’d let me keep it and start training with her. She made me train in all different types of weather, which is why I love Pokemon that have weather moves so much. It brought out all of our strengths in different ways. My dad and I would always team up against her, our Pokemon fighting hers. Of course, being a world-class former Gym Challenger herself, she whooped our assess pretty damn good each time. She got a lot of offers to be a Gym Leader around the region after she lost her Championship Match to the former Champion Mustard, but she never found a Pokemon type she liked more than others to commit to one gym, so she focused on helping train others, coaching new trainers in the Wild Area. I keep thinking about how much she would have loved you. The way you battle reminds me a little of her, not having any one type you like more than others, each of your Pokemon being an equal partner, rather than one being your signature ace like me and Lee. Seeing you battle, I sometimes wonder if she purposely threw her Championship Match. She never really did love the spotlight all that much. I think the reason I like it so much is because if her spirit or whatever is out there somewhere,   
maybe it’ll be easier for her to find me if everyone knows my name. I’d want her to know that I’m doing okay, and that everything I do in my battles, I’ve learned from her. I wonder if she’d be proud of me.’

Many of his other entries went on in the same way, recalling his day and the things that made him think of her or things that weighed heavy on his mind. Even if she chose to be with Leon, he realized, he wanted Light to know who he really was. He’d learn from Leon, who’d managed to unconditionally open his heart to her without the expectation of the relationship, whether they were together or not. He wanted his friend to know the real Raihan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't find much on Raihan's parents, so I made a few possible story adjustments based on what I think is possible/ would drive Raihan to be the way he is. Going to make Leon's chapter the next one


	16. Leon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another little shorter chapter to see how Leon's doing. He's dealing with having done something 'wrong' for the first time, so poor guy is feeling a little rough so far.

After his talk with Raihan, Leon had also felt a little better. The guilt of hurting his best friend had weighted heavy on his mind. He’d found himself losing more frequently in his matches at the Battle Tower, and even had more trouble than usual finding a partner who was willing to put up with his spaciness in the Galarian Stars Tournament the past two weeks. Usually, it was his younger brother Hop who took pity on him and agreed to partner up. And for those first two weeks, they lost every match they fought together. Even the least attentive fans across Galar could see that something wasn’t quite right with the former Champion. 

After he and Raihan had sorted out their differences, Leon regained a little of his usual determination, although his mind was still mostly far away, on the Isle of Armor with Light. 

“Nessa, would you do me the honor of being my partner for today’s match?” He asked the water-type Gym Leader the next day, hoping to get some more information on the upcoming trip Raihan had told him she would be taking to the Island. 

Nessa looked at him with surprise- and doubt. He smiled sheepishly, hoping she’d accept his feeble offer, though it was clear she was hesitant to partner up with someone on a terrible losing streak. “I must say, I’m surprised Leon. You’ve never asked me to be your partner before. All of your regulars turn you down?”

The dig at him had been fair. He’d never asked her to be his partner before today. Although, in all fairness, she hadn’t asked him either. The water-type trainer usually preferred to team up with Milo or Bea, her closest friends in the league, although she occasionally paired up with Light when she had the chance. Not that she’d had the chance in the past few months. “I’m sorry about that. And I’m even more sorry that I’m doing it today because I have a favor to ask. But I promise to work harder to team up with you more in the future.”

She eyed him skeptically. “Fine, you’re on. But if we lose in the first round today, you owe me big time.”

He grinned. “Deal.”

“So what’s this favor you wanted to ask?” she asked him as they headed to the locker room. Leon was careful to look away as she changed, keeping his gaze on his phone- a perfect excuse to scroll through Light’s social media, which had been completely silent the past two weeks, apart from a brief post saying she would be taking a break to heal her body and mind, assuring her fans that she was okay. 

“Raihan told me you’re going to see Light on the Aisle of Armor soon. I was hoping you might take her something.”

She moved so that her blue eyes could narrow at him once she was changed. “I thought she asked you for some space.” Her tone was cold, protective. So Light had been contacting her- Raihan hadn’t known about her and Leon when Nessa went to visit the other man. Being closer to the dragon type Gym Leader, it appeared as though the model was on Raihan’s side. 

“It’s, uh, actually her Pokemon. Light asked me to take care of her Growlithe while she was gone, but I thought she could use someone to keep her company until she comes back. He’s really been missing her.” 

Leon missed her too, every fiber of his being wanted to hold her in his arms again. The two days he’d woken up to her beautiful face beside him had been the best two mornings of his life, especially the morning after they’d made love. Those two days had also been the hardest, having to leave her afterwards and the guilt that plagued him. He didn’t regret loving her, or even the intimacy that they’d shared. It was the way it happened that he felt guilt over. He’d always lived his life in a way of trying to make others better, happier, stronger. Besides worrying his mom and loved ones every time he’d gotten lost, Leon had never done anything, to his knowledge that was completely wrong, or harmful to others. This was the first time he’d actively made a choice that would hurt someone he cared about, the first time he’d acted truly selfishly. The conflicting feelings of not completely regretting it made him feel even worse. 

Even more, he missed having his close friend nearby, missed the way they confided in one another, the way their battles lit them both up inside, inspiring all of Galar with their love for Pokemon. He missed the way they laughed together, swapping silly Pokemon stories, and the way her eyes lit up every time he made her smile. 

Nessa’s features softened at his request, or maybe it was seeing how hopeless he was in that moment; he wasn’t sure. “Of course, Leon. I think that’ll be good for her. Knowing Light, she’s probably spending half of her time training.”

That made him smile. “Half? Try at least seventy-five percent,” he joked, starting to feel the knots in his chest loosen. His battle partner laughed, and they walked out onto the pitch. They didn’t win the tournament, but the two of them had made it to the final round, losing just slightly to Peony and Bede, a surprising yet deadly dynamic to their Pokemon.

“I’ll swing by next week Monday morning to pick up Growlithe,” Nessa told him as they left the stadium. Nessa would be leaving first thing after picking up the Pokemon that day. 

He sighed as he walked to the café. Hop, who lost in the first round today, had invited Leon to lunch after the tournament. Leon was sure his brother was expecting him and Nessa to lose in the tournament much faster than they had, and he wondered if he’d been waiting long. Not that Hop would mind terribly, the aspiring student had been using any moment of free time to study Pokemon recently. 

“Hey Lee,” Hop said with a smile as he located his brother at a small, corner table away from most of the room. Good. If Leon decided to talk about what was on his mind, they’d have some privacy.

“Hey Hop,” he returned the greeting, sitting in the booth across the table. Hop’s Dubwool sat next to its trainer, who fed it some treats happily. 

“How’d the rest of the tournament go? You must have made it pretty far!”

Leon wished he could match the level of enthusiasm his younger brother gave off, but the excitement did make him grin. “Nessa and I made it to the final round. Bede’s Hattrem is a tough opponent. I’m glad we made it to the final round, though. My partner was threatening me before the matches even began that I owed her if we didn’t make it past the first match.”

Hop laughed, sipping at his mug in front of him. From the looks of it, his younger brother had become a coffee drinker. Leon had never much cared for the drink himself, always opting for tea or water instead. Maybe a hot chocolate on a particularly indulgent day. “I’m glad to see Raihan’s back to battling in the tournament though. I guess Light being gone really did a number on him, huh? I’m sure he’ll perk right up when she’s back. Have you heard anything from her, being as you work with her and all?”

Hop’s words stung him a little more than his younger brother possibly could have realized. He’d forgotten the entire region, including Hop, didn’t know that Raihan and Light had broken up, and that their little love triangle was the reason she’d exiled herself in the first place. Worse yet, Hop was completely oblivious to his older brother’s feelings towards his best friend. 

He sighed. “Hop?”

“Yeah?”

“Light didn’t just leave because of what happened with Oleana and Calyrex.” The words struggled to come out now.

“What do you mean?” Hop asked, his amber eyes meeting Leon’s of the same shade.

“What I mean is,” Leon continued, pulling his hat off his head and fidgeting with it nervously, “that something…happened between Raihan and Light. They aren’t exactly…together right now. Rai messed up- big time. And then she came to me and we- and I…” his words came out in a jumbled mess, unsure of how to say what was on his mind.

Hop’s eyes widened as the put the pieces together. His younger brother had always been very intuitive. “O-oh, you and Light…” he muttered, looking down at his coffee. Sex wasn’t exactly a topic they’d ever really gotten into; neither one of them had ever really had it. Leon blushed, wondering how weird this must be for his younger brother, with Light being his best friend. “Well…I guess I’m not completely surprised. You two got really close really fast, and both went through a lot of the same things. And Light is- well, uh, that’s to say she’s not exactly hard on the eyes.”

Leon laughed. Not hard on the eyes? Light was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Although he supposed it would be problematic for Hop if he viewed his best friend the same way Leon did. He was glad that, at the very least, it didn’t seem like Hop was hurt by his action. If anything, he was just a little surprised, seeing as Leon had never outwardly expressed interest in other women, or sex before. 

“So…how was it?” Hop asked with an impish grin. Leon groaned and threw a napkin towards the other male, which only flopped sadly onto the table. “That bad, huh?” he continued teasing, rippling with laughter. It made Leon laugh in response, this time chucking a hand full of salt in his brother’s direction. “Okay, okay truce! But for real…how does she feel about you?”

This, at least was a question he felt a little more comfortable answering. “She feels the same. It took her longer to realize it than I did, but it’s there. I don’t know what that means in comparison to Raihan, but I at least know whatever happened between us was real, very real.”

His brother nodded. “Guess I get why you lost all those battles now. Poor Light has a lot of thinking to do. She was always the rational one of the two of us. Don’t get me wrong, she still rushed into danger headfirst, but she at least thought it over before she did it. It must have been some realization to her, realizing she loved you too, to make her do what you both did.”

Hop’s words were strangely comforting to Leon. They were right, of course. Light had never been the type to act without good reasoning. Her feelings had been the reasoning that night, and they must have been strong. It gave Leon a little bit of hope. This talk with Hop had been surprisingly helpful. “Thanks Hop,” he said, smiling at his brother as he ordered a hot cocoa. Today was an indulgent day, he decided. 

The next week had gone by quickly. Leon was back to his (mostly) regular level of confidence in battle, becoming someone people wanted to partner up with again. He made sure to invite Nessa as his partner at least one other time; he would keep his promise to her. They even won the tournament the second time they paired up. Nessa, who hadn’t won many of the tournaments full-out, seemed happy. 

The morning she would be picking up Growlithe, Leon got up extra early to bid the momentary farewell to the pup. “Hey little guy,” he said, stroking the ever-warm fur. “Thanks for keeping me together this week. I really needed you. I miss her. And I think you miss her too. But now, I think your trainer needs you even more than I do. She has a tough choice ahead of her, and she’s going to need all of the love she can be surrounded by. I’m a little jealous you’ll get to cuddle with her instead of me,” he laughed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a hand-crafted collar that he’d picked up at the markets in Wyndon. It was a simple leather piece, with a small identification tag in the shape of a heart attached. The collar read: Hi! I belong to Champion Light. It was a simple greeting, but Leon had had it engraved on the metal, matching the personality of the loving pup. The collar was big enough that when it evolved into Arcanine, the badn would still fit around its wild mane of fur, but the band was light and punctured enough that it would fit the Growlithe as it currently was. The Pokemon accepted the collar happily, snorting excitedly as it nuzzled Leon’s face with his own. Light’s new fire-type had a knack for bonding with the people its trainer loved and had clearly grown fond of him over the past three weeks. Leon had been incredibly charmed by the pup as well. 

“You ready to go see your trainer?” He asked as a knock sounded on the door. Growlithe bolted towards the sound excitedly, spinning itself in circles as Leon opened the door. The sight made him chuckle softly. 

Nessa swooned instantly for the little Pokemon. “He’s so cute,” she said, bending down to let the fire-type assess her. It decided Nessa was okay, letting her pet it slightly. “I’d better be going. The flying taxi takes a little longer than your Charizard.”

Leon gave the Growlithe one final hug. “You take care of her, okay?” he asked of the pup before returning it to its ball, still wearing the collar. The Pokemon hadn’t been in its ball for weeks, having free reign of Leon’s suite. Thankfully, the Pokemon wasn’t messy, not that Leon would have returned it to the ball even if it had been. He handed the Pokeball to Nessa. “Thanks,” he told her, feeling a slight lump of emotion in his throat at handing over the Pokemon he’d come to care for. 

The water-type Gym Leader gave him a quick, comforting hug. “I’ll make sure they’re both okay,” she promised before walking back out the door. 

After she left, Leon flopped onto the bed, hoping for a few more moments of sleep before his day started. Without the warmth of Growlithe or Light near him, he suddenly found it hard to get comfortable, spending that time tossing and turning around his bed. 

He needed a project, he decided the next day on his way to the Battle Tower, some way to channel his emotions and feelings towards Light, without explaining himself to all of Galar.   
Neither party was ready for that yet, when she hadn’t made her choice. Instead, he sought to make her a team for the Battle Tower. The last time she’d fought him, Light had borrowed a team from the front desk, challenging herself to something new. She’d taken it really hard when she lost to him, but it seemed like she just hadn’t found the right team. So he was going to make a team for her from the ones he’d trained, and even some of his own personal Pokemon. 

The first choice for him was obvious: Inteleon. He’d given her and Hop a choice of three Pokemon the first day he’d met her. She chose Scorbunny right away, the fire type fitting well with her fiery personality. Hop had chosen Grookey, the grass monkey, which had left Sobble for Leon to train. It was a perfect symbol of how they’d met, the beginning of his love for her. He’ known from the first second he looked into those bright green eyes of hers that she would wind up being something incredibly special, both to him and all of Galar. Both predictions had been correct; she’d become their new champion and his first love. Their meeting was a day he’d never forget, and Inteleon was a perfect resemblance of that. 

For his second choice, Leon decided on Dragapult. While Light had her own that she could easily use, this was all the more reasoning to include his own, which had been trained slightly different than hers, and was different in its nature and personality. It would be a perfect test to see how she would command a Pokemon she was so familiar with, yet completely new to at the same time. They’d also bonded over the Pokemon, sharing their love for the ghostly dragon-type. If there was any Pokemon she was close to using as her ace, her most symbolized partner, like Charizard was to him, Dragapult would have to be it. She used him most frequently in the battles he’d seen, even when he used his own during the tournament. Their Pokemon were usually deadly to each other, causing the crowds to go absolutely wild.

His third choice was the hardest of all. Rather than catering to her interests and their past together, Leon wanted a Pokemon that symbolized how much he loved her. He didn’t want to choose a Pokemon that typically represented love, like Applin or Luvdisc since those Pokemon were typically more likely to be weak to the ones he’d use, and he also wanted to show the strength of that love through a strong, yet symbolic Pokeball. “Charizard, who should we pick for her?” he asked his partner as they looked through his Pokemon storage.

The fire-type huffed, as if there was an obvious answer Leon had been missing. Leon stopped, looking up at his partner Pokemon. “Big guy…you’d really be willing to let me loan you to Light for a battle?”

It nodded, and he grinned. Of course, Charizard was the perfect testament to how he felt about her. It was his strongest, most trusted Pokemon, his partner in all things. It was the Pokemon that made him who he was, a symbol to Galar of who he was. Giving him to her, even for one battle, would hopefully show that she was now equally his partner, something that meant just as much to him as his time as Champion, his fame across Galar. She was a part of him, as much as his Charizard was. It also showed how much he trusted her and her abilities, parting with his partner Pokemon for a battle in order to her her command the fire-type, letting his partner learn from her as well. He smiled. Leon couldn’t wait until Light returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! We're getting close to the endgame guys. Just 2-3 more chapters! Thanks to everyone sticking around so far!


	17. Decision Peak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, it's decision-making time!

Light smiled when she saw Nessa walking up the path to the dojo. She hadn’t expected her friend to visit her on the Island, though it had been three weeks since Light had been in Galar, and even more time since they’d seen each other in person. “What brings you here?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

“Girl, I’m worried about you all the way over here in exile,” Nessa said, hugging her tightly. For her slender figure, the water-trainer had quite an impressive grip. “Although, you couldn’t have picked a better place to do it, this island always catches me off guard with how nice it is. Even Hulbury isn’t this warm and sunny, or surrounded by this much water. Me and the team might just have to stay here and train with you for awhile.”

“Well, I’m about to do some yoga, want to join me.”

The Gym Leader wrinkled her nose. “Not exactly, I meant that more as a joke. You know I live for swimming as my cardio.”

It was Light’s turn to wrinkle her nose. That was one thing that she and Nessa didn’t see eye-to-eye on; she’d never been much for swimming, or even getting her toes wet in the water. The Champion was perfectly content watching everything from a cozy sunbathing chair, or even a towel in the sand. Anything but actual swimming. She began her stretches, calming her body as she eased into the positions she’d been practicing under the scorching sun of the Isle. Even Nessa, whose signature pose was a standing split before throwing her Pokeball, was impressed by her newfound flexibility. The balance had been something of a grounding experience for Light, something she did when her thoughts were particularly all over the place, as they’d been going into her morning. 

“Damn girl, whoever you choose is going to be one lucky man,” Nessa teased, noting the way she made her body bend. Light blushed at the comment. The Gym Leader was far more open and blunter about sex than she’d ever been, though her friend had made her spill most of the salacious details about her intimate encounters with the two males. Light had obliged her curiosities, hoping that the more experienced female would be able to offer some advice or help her understand which of the two vastly different experiences meant more or less in some way. Nessa, who’d been in awe of both stories, wasn’t able to offer anything to that extent, although she did try to press for the absolute dirtiest of details, like who was bigger, who lasted longer. All of which, Light of course refused to share with the other girl. 

Light was thankful that she’d already filled the Gym Leader in on everything that had happened with the two men, not needing to recount the events yet again. The two women could sit in the   
comfort of their silence as Light stretched her body, preparing herself to talk through the things she was thinking and feeling. For now, though, she chose to focus on grounding herself through yoga, the concentration of staying balanced while also pushing her body to new limits helped to clear her mind to focus on the choice, rather than who happened to be on her mind at that moment, which was Raihan and the way he’d wrapped her legs around him, after Nessa’s most recent comment about flexibility. She blushed as she finished the exercise. Her Dragapult, who always meditated calmly while she did her own work, finally acknowledged Nessa, sensing there was something the other girl had for Light. The ghostly dragon sniffed the Gym Leader’s bag as if it were trying to force its nose into the pockets.

Nessa laughed. “Somebody’s eager for their new friend. Here,” she said, handing a Pokeball to Light. 

She opened the Pokeball immediately, and opened her arms for the Growlithe, who launched itself into her arms. A wave of scent hit her- Leon’s, and her mind shifted quickly to the former champion who’d been taking care of her pup. The Growlithe looked great; it was clear Leon had fed and groomed her Pokemon regularly during its stay with him. The strong scent of the purple-haired male suggested he’d also spent a great deal of time cuddling the Pokemon. She smiled at the realization, nuzzling her face into its fur. Her nose knocked into an unexpected object around its neck. A leather collar had been placed around its neck, with a heart-shaped pendant dangling above its chest. Hi, I belong to Champion Light!, it read. Tears formed at her at the unexpected gesture as she pulled Growlithe closer to her. Leon had not only gotten her Pokemon a beautiful, simple, collar that clearly wound up enough to fit when it evolved later on, but had taken the time to engrave a message onto the pendant he’d picked out for her. She missed him terribly. Three weeks was the longest she’d gone without her friend since she’d vacationed for two weeks after becoming champion. She hadn’t gone too much longer without seeing Raihan, but something about this pain was different. Raihan was the type of friend that she could go months without and pick back up right where they’d left off as if nothing had changed. Their earlier encounter the last week was proof of that. Leon, she could of course pick back up with at any time, but being apart from him was somehow harder in a different way. Maybe it was because she’d seen Rai the previous week and only talked with Leon briefly over the Rotom Phone. 

Her tears leaked from her eyes, falling onto Growlithe’s fur, overwhelmed by the sweet gesture. 

“Are you okay?” Nessa asked her, taking a step forward. 

Light nodded, finally setting her Growlithe on the ground to play with Dragapult. The ghost-type hesitated momentarily, assessing the pup, but quickly matched its energy as they began to dart around the grassy areas. “I’m okay, I just miss Leon- both of them really. I missed Growlithe too, I’m happy he’s here now. Thanks for going to get him for me.”

“It was all Leon’s idea,” she admitted. “He asked me to be his partner in the tournament last week and then asked me to bring him to you. Something about how you probably needed him right now more than he did. Although I’m not so sure. Boy was on a serious losing streak until a few days ago ever since he got back from here. Some fans were worried his Pokemon were getting sick or something. Nobody really seemed to catch on that it had anything to do with you though. Everyone’s guessing it had something to do with seeing Rose again. I also saw Raihan. Well, before he came here anyway.”

This news came as a shock to Light. She hadn’t been aware of her friend’s visit to her currently ex-boyfriend. “How was he?”

“Boy was a hot mess, with a capital H and a capital M. I mean, he did nothing but sit in that castle moping for two weeks. He’s been a lot better since he stopped by to see you though. He even battled in the tournament last week, though he lost to Opal and Bede’s team before Leon and I could face him, which is probably for the best. They’re not exactly battling together right now.”

Light looked at Nessa, perplexed. “Why aren’t they battling together? Are they fighting?”

“No,” she said. “From what Leon’s told me, they’ve talked it out and are on good terms. Honey, they’ve been best friends and every interaction between them has basically been televised for the last 10 years. If anything was off about their dynamic, some overattentive fan is going to notice. They, or at least Leon, are protecting you and your privacy by keeping themselves out of the spotlight together. “

There Leon was, being thoughtful again, constantly putting others above himself and being a good person. It was a trait she loved about him, that he was just such a good person. She had no doubt in her mind that he’d worried about how his actions would affect Raihan, and that he’d likely plagued himself with guilt until they were able to talk. She’d done the same-to an extent. Raihan was a little more self-centered. It was clear that his self had extended to her; Light was an extension of Raihan in the way he thought, acted, moved. Every move he made, he was thinking of them, she was sure of it. Leon, on the other hand, thought of everyone, not just the two of them. 

“Girl, why don’t you lay it on me, tell me what’s going through your mind. Maybe talking out loud will help you make sense of all the crazy that’s going on up there.” Nessa pointed to her forehead, gesturing for Light to come have a seat with her on the bluff that looked out towards the sea near the dojo. It was her favorite yoga and mediation spot. She sat, feeling the mobility in her left legs that hadn’t been this strong three weeks ago.

“Thanks,” she said, looking out towards the sea. “It’s starting to get clearer, over time. I just…they’re so different. How I feel about them is so different, yet the same.”

“Why don’t you start with Rai? Just Rai, don’t bring Leon into it yet. Try to sort out your feelings for one without the other.” Nessa suggested.

Light laid back onto the grass beneath her. “Well, Rai came first. At least, our relationship took off first. He told me how he felt first. Our first date was so amazing. Really everything was amazing. When I had that fall off of Corvvy, he took such good care of me, and really made sure I was okay. He saved me and was so worried about my injuries. He makes me laugh. Even when we were dating, we never stopped that playful fighting that drew me to him in the first place. And he remembered just about everything from our dates, even down to the foods I liked. Our first time, well, before everything happened, was so amazing. It was absolutely incredible. It was like what every girl dreamed their first time would be like. It wasn’t perfect, but what first time is? He definitely knew what he was doing, although some of the things must have learned aren’t exactly my favorite. I can’t explain it, but it was like he was on auto-pilot, not paying as much attention to how I was reacting instead of what he was doing. Still great, but if I had anything to say about it, that would be it. Every time he touches me, it’s electric and always intense. I definitely love him.”

Here came the hard part. “But that night we slept together hurt me. Even though he’s opened up to me since then, I still am not sure if I can forgive him-no, that’s not the right word. I forgive him. But I’m not sure I can trust him with myself fully after everything that’s happened. He’s hid things from me, kept himself closed off to me when I needed it most, after I opened myself up to him completely. Even when he did finally open up, it seemed like he can’t promise it won’t happen again in the future. Which, I get. You can’t know what will happen tomorrow. But his promises to try to do better didn’t include any actual plans as to how he was going to communicate with me, so they felt a little empty. He’s my first love. He’ll always be my first love, no matter what happens.”

“And Leon?”

“Oh Lee,” she sighed, thinking now about the purple haired male. “I don’t even know where to start with him. He’s just about the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I mean seriously, I don’t know how he is so thoughtful and caring constantly. Every single thing he does is for other people, making sure that what he’s doing is still okay with them. He’s one of my closest friends. Leon and I have shared some really emotional moments. Before the accident with Corviknight, we’d been at the Battle Tower together, just sharing our emotional stories and thoughts. He always hugs me, or holds me any time I cry. It’s really sweet. He’s always so thoughtful, like buying Growlithe a collar, or always checking to make sure what he’s doing is okay. When we slept together, he watched my reaction for every move he made, and I mean every. I think there’s not a single sensitive spot on my body he didn’t discover just by making sure what he was doing was good. And oh, it was good. When we were together…it was perfect. Even the way he wasn’t sure of himself, the way he asked me to help guide him to the right-erm, spots, was just…it was overwhelmingly sweet. It was like seeing through space and time, except seeing into each other’s souls. I don’t know how I only just now am realizing that I love him. I think it’s   
gone on longer than I’ll ever know. I’ve always admired him as a trainer, and then as a friend. And somewhere along the way, that shifted and now he’s more than that. I know that I can tell him anything and he’ll just understand me. We’ve been through so much together, and he’s been through so many of the things I’m going through, and I for him. My mom has always loved the Undefeatable Leon. Seriously, every time I came home during my Gym Challenge, she’d tell me something about him, or ask me if I’d seen him. When something bad happened, she had absolute faith that he’d be able to fix it. He’s done so much to protect me, to save me that I’ve never even realized. Without him checking in with Rai the day of that accident to make sure I got back alright, Rai might have never found me. I love him too.”

“Doesn’t sound like there’s a but here,” Nessa noted.

Light sighed. “There really isn’t. Leon would be…no he is…perfect in every way. Really, I love him so much. He’s just not Raihan. And Raihan, for that matter, isn’t him. Raihan was-is my first love. And those feelings haven’t gone away. They came on really fast, and strong, and intense, and it blew up pretty quickly, but the aftermath is still there. But Leon, with him it was a slow burn. The kind of fire you barely notice is keeping you warm, until it grows all of a sudden, it’s out of control and your entire body is on fire. He really snuck up on me, and now I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to not love him.”

“Could you see yourself ever not loving Raihan?” Nessa asked. The girl was intuitive; she was asking all of the questions Light hadn’t even thought of, but needed to be honest with herself about.

“I don’t know,” was her honest answer. She loved them both completely, and in two completely different ways. But at least she now knew how she felt. Her answer was slowly becoming clearer, though she knew she’d still need a little bit more time, just to be absolutely certain. Light never did anything she was unsure of. Nessa stroked her hair as she thought in silence, her head resting on the other woman’s lap. She was so thankful to have her water-loving friend here with her to sort out the mess that were her current feelings. Would these feelings be so heavy if they weren’t almost all connected to some life-threatening, life altering events that had occurred? Or would she be just as conflicted by her feelings if her life had been more ordinary? It was hard to tell. Growlithe and Dragapult came running back to her then, bounding excitedly to her to join in the friendly cuddles. Once more, Leon’s scent assaulted her nose, more faded this time, as the pup wriggled as close to her face as it could. It gave her an idea.

“Hey Ness, want to go for a run? I know you usually swim but running is at least cardio. What do you say we start this little guy’s training?”

The water trainer gaped at her, mouth open. “Seriously, Light? You just got done doing yoga. Is all you do train?”

“No,” Light pouted. “I’ve been helping rebuild the tower here. I only really train by running there and back each day. And my morning yoga. And a little bit of weightlifting with the other students to get some strength back in my left side. And the occasional battle with Klara and Honey.”

Nessa sighed. “Leon was right, you definitely have spent at least 75% of your waking hours training here. I think you deserve some dessert, but fine. I’ll indulge you in one run. But then I’m taking a dip in the sea afterwards because I hate being all gross and sweaty.”

“Ness, it’s a million degrees here, we’re already hot and sweaty.” They both laughed, gearing up for their run. Dragapult sank down in the grass where they’d been sitting, preparing itself for a nap. The laid back dragon was refusing to go with. Growlithe on the other hand, who was ready to start getting stronger, began to trot next to the girls, easily keeping with their pace. The pup showed off a little, jumping over logs and obstacles in the way, looking up at its trainer every so often, as if seeking approval, which Light gave often as they ran through the Forest of Focus. She’d ran through here so many times, at least once per day, that she had the routes in the forest memorized, as if she could run through them blindfolded. When they reached Brawler’s Cave, her skin crawled, thankful for the cool interior of the dark cavern. Nessa cursing was just barely audible to her as they reached long ascending path of the cave, up towards Challenge Road. Light grinned. This wasn’t even the hard part. She laughed out loud at the bewildered expression on Nessa’s face when they reached the outside of the cave, only to be met immediately with more stairs that led up to the peak, where the beaten tower stood. 

“Girl, are you trying to kill me?!” Nessa exclaimed, her eyes widening at the challenge. This was the hardest part of the run, in the sun and uphill the entire way. When she had to take a break and walk, it was usually here, at the climax of her run. There hadn’t been a single day where she’d been able to make it all the way to the top without at least a brief pause. Today, as she thought of the man who’d never given up on her, she was determined to make it to the top. 

As she worked her way up the stairs, her lungs and limbs ached, a familiar and uncomfortable, yet exhilarating sensation. Nessa had stopped running now, walking her way towards the top slowly, as if waiting for the exact moment Light told her she could stop or turn around and head back to the water. The Gym Leader cheered loudly for her as Light reached the top, without stopping. The exhilaration of reaching her goal filled her as she smiled. She couldn’t believe she’d actually done it. 

Her Growlithe, her new protector and close confidant, almost appearing as a symbol of the men she loved, and how she loved them, reached the top and howled with achievement. And in that moment, Light’s resolve was clear; she knew what she needed to do once she returned home to Galar. Her body collapsed to the ground, her Growlithe prancing excitedly around her, as if the run had been nothing for him. Nessa eventually reached the top, her body slumping to lean on Light’s. “I’m never doing that again, no matter how much I love you,” she huffed. That was fine with Light; she herself would likely never make this exact run again either.

The two took a flying taxi back to the dojo, arms and legs sore from the exercise. Light excitedly told Nessa that she’d made her decision, though she wouldn’t tell the darker girl exactly what   
that decision was. The two men her decision was between deserved to be the first to know, apart from Light herself, of course. Nessa would see the result in time, as would the rest of Galar.

She got to work on packing as soon as they’d returned; she’d go home to Galar in the morning. Nessa left right away, giving the Champion some time to make sure her thoughts remained clear over the next few hours. They didn’t waver, not in the slightest. The next 24 hours would be the hardest and most painful, most emotional in her life. Someone would be hurt, and she would hurt with them. But, reminding herself that someone would be hurt no matter what she chose, and that she would love with her entire heart allowed her to smile as she worked and as she joined the other students in the dojo once she’d finished. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the room she’d entered when they saw that her usual energy and smile had returned. Honey even wrapped her in several hugs throughout the evening as they all sat around the main area, drinking hot cocoa and telling stories. What she enjoyed most of all were Mustard’s stories, his wild tales as former Champion, and his stories of young Leon, who’d passed almost all of his trials, but not without roaming the entire island lost each time. Light wished that Raihan had trained here too, so that she could hear his own embarrassing stories as well. 

The next morning, as she left the guest bedroom to leave, Mustard was waiting for her in the main area. “Come child,” he said, gesturing for her to follow him. “Let’s take a walk out onto the field.”

Light looked at him, perplexed. “Isn’t the field only for battles?”

“Why of course it is! Now that you’ve found yourself again, I’d like to have a proper battle with you before you leave me here again,” the older man said with a grin as he pushed the doors open, and Light returned the grin. She’d never say no to a Pokemon battle, especially not with another former champion. 

She set Growlithe aside the field- he would only be watching today since he hadn’t had enough training. The pup pouted, wanting in on the action. “You’ll learn a lot from Mustard just by watching, I promise,” she said, giving him a quick pat on the forehead and dashing off to the center of the field. Her legs were still sore from her glorious personal victory the other day. Still high from the achievement, she began the battle, sending her trusted Gallade to the field first, who proved to be a tough opponent against Mustard’s fighting-types. Despite the type disadvantage, being out of practice made Gallade’s battling a little stiff, and the Pokemon tired sooner than it typically would. Light brought out her Dragapult next, the wispy dragon-ghostly type was quick to float around it’s equally fast enemies, neither at a disadvantage nor advantage against the types, although it’s Kommo-O and Dragapult proved to be equally deadly to the other, exhausting themselves at the same time. This left his Water Urshifu, to which she brought out her Corviknight. She’d been avoiding battling with her flying companion since the   
accident. After dropping its trainer, the large bird hadn’t quite been its usual cocky self, beginning to doubt its own movements. Today, she felt the bird was ready as she grabbed its Pokeball, Dynamaxing it as Mustard Gigantamaxed his Urshifu. Even slower due to its massive size, the steel bird’s flying moves made quick work of the fighting type, taking it down and restoring its confidence once again. 

“I knew you could do it, Corvvy!” she said, returning the Pokemon to its ball.

“Welcome back, Light,” the dojo owner said as he retired to the living room, leaving Light to continue on her way back to Galar.

She was officially ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Light's made her decision, and then next chapter is going to be endgame. I've decided to go with the ending I wanted, rather than writing two separate ones, BUT if someone requests an ending for the other male, I may very well oblige and write it anyway! 
> 
> Sidenote for my thirstier readers, who do y'all think would be the answers to Nessa's dirty questions that Light refuses to answer (but certainly has an answer to)? (;


	18. "We've Reached the Climax, it's Gigamax Time"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it guys, the final chapter. Light's made her choice and she's going to follow her heart.

Light had just reached Hammerlocke when her phone rang. It was Leon.

“Hey Light,” he said, a sheepish look on his face when she answered. “I know you needed space, and I’m not calling to pressure you about that. Oleana texted me this morning saying that Rose was planning to get ahold of Eternatus and retry his plan at using it as a permanent energy source. They’re at the Battle Tower right now. I’m sorry to have to bring you out of the Isle before you ready but I need you here to help me. Wait-“ Leon paused, only just now noticing the castle walls in the background behind her. “Are you at Hammerlocke castle?”

She nodded. “I am. I’ll hop on Corviknight and be there soon.”

“Would you…mind bringing Raihan, if you weren’t already. I think it’s better if we had as much help as possible for this. I want to stop Rose from putting you, and others in danger once and for all.” Her heart broke at the sad tone in his voice. Soon, she would explain everything to him, but for now they had bigger things to deal with. She strode up to the castle, walking until she reached his bedroom door, which she knocked on. No answer. 

They didn’t have time for this. She took out her phone, calling him. “Light, is everything okay?” he asked as she appeared on his screen. He was in the kitchen, she realized, and started running. He strode towards the direction of the bedrooms. “Wait, why are you in the castle?”

The two trainers met in the middle before she could answer, hanging up the phone. As Raihan took his final strides towards her, he held out his arms as if for an embrace. Light dodged this, instead grabbing his hand and leading him outside. “We’ve gotta go- Leon’s in trouble in Wyndon. Rose and Oleana are at the tower trying to get Eternatus for his plan. I left Eternatus with Leon in Wyndon since I was going to be alone on the island. If Leon brought Eternatus to the Tower with him…We need to hurry before Rose can do anything to them.” She released Corviknight. “You should probably ride Flygon. Corvvy’s a little tired from our flight here; it’ll be faster this way overall. We’ve got to hurry.” 

Raihan flinched at the urgency in her voice. She’d come to Hammerlocke first, at least as far as he knew, but was now so clearly desperate to get to Leon. Of course, their friend was in trouble, but the Gym Leader wasn’t sure what to make of her actions just now. It was obvious she wasn’t going to explain anything to him until Rose was stopped. Not that he’d be able to hear her, what with them riding on two separate Pokemon at the speed they were going. It wasn’t long before they reached Wyndon. Thankfully, the weather was great for flying and any harsh winds had been at their backs, rather than flying into the wind. Light was right though, he realized when she jumped off the bird and returned it to its Pokeball, her Corviknight looked incredibly exhausted after several hours of straight flying.

“Thanks Big Guy,” she whispered to him before returning him to the Pokeball and running towards the entrance of the tower, not waiting for Raihan. She knew he’d be following after her; it wasn’t as if Raihan was just going to wait around when his best friend’s life was in danger. 

Oleana was waiting for them outside the tower doors, her expression somber. “Champion, Raihan… I know I’ve asked this of you before, but please stop Rose. He’s gone too far. I really thought he’d regretted what he did all those months ago… but he hasn’t changed his goal, or his priorities. He wants Eternatus, which he knows you have. He’s going to try to take it from you and continue with the plan he failed on the Darkest Day. This is all my fault…I’m sorry.”

The look on Oleana’s face said it all: Oleana had been in love with the Chairman. She thought he’d change, that he’d change the way he did things for her, and that he’d give up on a dream that would only hurt himself and her. She risked her life, her career and everything she had to find him and be with him. Yet, he was all too happy to risk her livelihood for his own motives, and it would cost them both. Light felt empathy for the woman- she’d worn the same expression the night Raihan had shut her out. She’d felt the same love, the same pull to try to make things right. But they didn’t have time for her empathy. And if Oleana was smart and ran from the law that would inevitably be following her, she’d never receive it.

When they were in the elevator, Raihan pulled her into a tight hug, once she accepted gratefully. There was nothing else they could really do as they climbed the ridiculous number of floors the tower contained anyway. His strong arms around her comforted her, and she felt her anxiety ease slightly as he held her. Light was thankful she wasn’t alone, panicking by herself over the danger of both the men she cared about deeply. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Raihan told her, resisting the urge to place a kiss on the top of her forehead. “Lee and Eternatus are crazy strong. No way has that sick fuck broken them down yet. Besides, there’s no way they’re going to get past the three strongest trainers in Galar and the strongest Pokemon.”

As the doors to the top floor opened, the trainers saw that Leon was being kept in a hold by Rose’s Copperajah, but was otherwise okay- at least physically. No marks or blood suggested he’d been tortured in any way- again, physically. The look on his face, however, told a different  
story. Leon’s face was blank, expressionless as if his soul had been removed and only the husk of his body remained. Every so often his face twitched in pain, as if he was seeing something only he could see, experiencing some horror unseen to everyone else. 

“Ahh, just who we were waiting for,” Rose said, turning his attention to Light, who scowled. “I trust you ran into my useless former assistant on your way up here. Such a shame, she truly did have potential-“

“Shut the fuck up old man, and put Lee down!” Raihan yelled, charging at the man. When he reached a distance of being able to touch the man, his body slammed into an invisible wall, knocking him to the ground. The force of the impact rippled around the room, showing the outline of a light screen that surrounded Rose and Leon, whose body flinched as the Light Screen was damaged. It was then that Light saw the Leon’s Mr. Rime beneath the body of the Copperajah. It was unclear exactly how the Pokemon was being controlled, but it was clear the Pokemon had used both the light screen and its psychic powers on Leon. And, in some way, the light screen was connected to Mr. Rime’s hold on Leon so that whatever happened to the barrier also happened to Leon. 

Raihan, having not realized this, positioned to hurl himself against the invisible glass once more. “Stop!” cried Light, tackling his body to the ground before he could reach the wall. The sequence of events brought out a cold, dark laughter from Rose. 

“Don’t you see now, Light? You have to control Eternatus; I’ve done the one thing that ensured you will. Did you really think your love for this boy, this puppet wasn’t completely obvious? That there was something special about your feelings that nobody with a pair of eyes wouldn’t notice it?” He held up an Ultra Ball in his hands- the very one that Light had marked specially for Eternatus. “You see, this is why I never keep a psychic type on me. You never know who could be holding one of these,” he held up another device that had a small array of buttons. “This tool lets me control weak Pokemon.”

“Leon’s Pokemon aren’t weak,” Light defended through clenched teeth.

“Oh no, you’re very right, Champion, it’s not his Pokemon that are weak, not when the trainer itself is the failure. See, Leon’s flaw is that he lets love to get in the way. Every. Single. Time. He’s been screwing up his battles, causing his own team to lose faith in him, to be easily caught off guard. Which is how I was able to control his Mr. Rime here into giving me everything I need to make this go off without a hitch.” He threw the Ultra Ball into the air, the Pokemon landing behind the screen so that Leon couldn’t get to it. The limbs of the legendary Pokemon, too large for the building, crashed into its walls, shattering some of the glass that looked out towards the center of Galar. Light released her Dragapult, not wanting to release another psychic type around the mysterious device Rose held. He pointed in the direction of Hammerlocke. “All you have to do is send Eternatus’ Eternal beam towards the stadium. Help me begin the rise of the next Darkest Day to bring eternal energy to Galar, and I’ll release your precious lover.”

“You sick, twisted fool!” Light cried, Dynamaxing her Dragapult, just in case the former chairman found a way to bring Eternatus against her and her team. Panic coursed through her entire body. Both the legendary Pokemon and the former champion, who’d chosen to love her and be her partner were now in immediate danger. 

“If you won’t listen, I’ll make you listen,” Rose said, annoyance seeping into his voice now. “Don’t you see yet, keeper of Eternatus? I will stop at nothing. I will track you down, finding every loved one you have, every new loved one you meet until I find someone who will make you give into giving me what I want. If it’s not this boy, I’ll try again with your supposed boyfriend over here. Then your friend Hop, your mom, I’ll work my way down the entire list until there’s nothing left. And when there’s nothing left, I’ll ruin everyone who isn’t too scared to let you into their life. This is for your own good, can’t you see that?”

“Using a Pokemon for an endless supply of energy is not for the good of everyone. Surely you, of all people should know that,” Raihan, who’d been quiet the past few moments, snapped. “You were the one who stopped the use of electric Pokemon in the Hammerlocke energy plant, bringing in large generators. How is this any different?”

“A sacrifice of one is better than the sacrifice of hundreds, thousands of Pokemon,” he rationalized. “Together, we can be the heroes who saved the Galar region from needing to use Pokemon as workers, slaves, and instead as partners in battle, we they were originally intended.”

Everything Rose was saying was so wrong, so misguided. “I’ve already saved the region from your ass,” Light sneered. “And I’ll gladly do it again. Your methods and intentions are wrong.”

“You’re not listening. Maybe you will if I speak a language you actually understand. Mr. Rime, use ice beam.”

A small, steady spray of ice hurled itself towards the light screen, in the direction of Light and Raihan. The impact once again hit the glass, causing a ripple throughout the room. 

From next to them, Leon screamed, his body flailing at the pain caused by the impact. The hollow sound echoed, reverberating in her heart and mind, as if his pain were her own pain. “Leon!” She cried, running a few steps towards his direction, though she knew she couldn’t physically reach him. Please, come back to me, she thought. 

His head, slowly, as if it was fighting every cell in his body, turned to Light. His amber eyes, though full of pain and love, were wide awake when he said his next words: “Break it.” Her heart stopped. He meant for her to shatter the light screen. Which would kill him. His head slumped back down, eyes once again blank and lifeless, soulless. There had to be another way. One that didn’t involve Rose invoking the Darkest Day, but that also wouldn’t kill Leon. 

Light had one final idea. It was a shot in the dark, something she’d only read about briefly in one of the texts she’d skimmed when she’d sit in the library for hours at Hammerlocke castle. One of the texts had stated a myth, one that read of an unspoken bond between legendary Pokemon and the trainer who had caught it. This myth had been written about the two psychic-dragon types, Latios and Latias, but this was the absolute last resort she had. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind until her desire was clear: destroy the device that controlled Mr. Rime. It was the only option that didn’t result in Leon or Eternatus succumbing to their worst fate. She steeled her resolve, making the desire as loud as she possibly could in her mind. Break the device, Break the Device, BREAK THE DEVICE. In her mind, she pictured the Pokemon destroying the device, showing a number of ways it could do so without causing damage to everyone around. In each vision, she also made sure to show Leon being safe, unharmed, sometimes even protected by the Pokemon. A few moments of silence passed. “Eternatus, please,” she begged. I love him.

It was as if something in her body, no, her soul clicked in that moment. “It… is done,” a voice spoke to her. The words themselves were never really spoken and never by the being itself. It was as if Eternatus showed her a collection of words from different songs on the radio to create a message, except instead of radio songs, he used pieces of her memory to create the message, telling her that he would do as she commanded. As soon as the thought had occurred, the tail of Eternatus smashed into Rose, sending him flying back towards the wall. The Pokemon had been careful not to send the older man into the light screen. The device fell from Rose’s hand as he knocked back against the wall. The impact, hitting his head directly, caused the former chairman to pass out, completely cold. Unhesitating, Eternatus used the same tail to smash the object, completely shattering it into tiny, unidentifiable pieces. 

With the control of Mr. Rime lifted, Leon began to wake, his head lifting slightly, groggy from the forced slumber-like state. The light screen, as well, had vanished. 

The Gigantamaxed Copperajah, seeing its trainer thrown against the wall, began to rampage, stomping around the room, flailing its trunk, which still held Leon. Eternatus readied its Dynamax Canon, pointed directly at the steel type. Light cried out, trying to stop the incredible force before it was released, but it was too late. The full of Eternatus’s force was hurling itself towards Leon and the Copperajah. 

Raihan grabbed Light, covering him with his arms and pulling them both into a crouching position as the giant Pokemon crashed into the opposite end of the room. Pieces of the tower wall and glass fell onto them both as the Copperajah shrunk down to its normal size, having fainted at the harsh impact of the blow and being knocked against the wall. 

“No!” Light screamed, pushing Raihan’s arms away from her body and running towards the scene. It was in that exact moment that Raihan realized what her choice would be. The love, worry, and pure, raw emotion that filled her face as she saw the scene unfold and hurled her body to the ground told him everything he needed to know. It wasn’t him, the Gym Leader  
realized. It had never meant to be him in the end. It was why he’d never been able to open up to her completely, yet his best friend was able to do it on a daily basis with her. It was why he’d dreamt of her being taken from him, because deep down, he knew she would. This wasn’t her fault of course, Light really had loved him, she’d been ready to give it her all- she’d given him everything. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he would lose her. He’d expected the loss to be different, but he’d predicted it nonetheless. Even if he hadn’t messed up, even if he had given all of himself, their life would have only been half of the whole he couldn’t be for her- the whole that Leon would be. The harsh realization brought tears to his eyes, and he stood, walking towards Rose. Raihan grabbed the older man, returning the Copperajah to its Pokeball from across the room, and lugging the former chairman to the elevator, which opened immediately. He didn’t, he couldn’t look back at Light and Leon in that moment. 

Light was vaguely aware that Raihan had left with Rose’s limp body is tow, but her attention was focused on getting the rubble, the pieces of glass that had pierced skin away from Leon. She could feel his body move, a shallow inhale and exhale of breath as she moved. “Please, don’t leave me,” she sobbed as she hurled the pieces away from his body, working first to free his head for easier and safer breathing. “You can’t leave me,” she repeated. “I love you Lee.”

A few moments passed after the debris had cleared. Leon’s body still showed no signs of change, apart from the continuation of his breath. Her head lowered to his chest, sobbing as she clutched his unconscious body. She felt the presence of Eternatus nearing her. “Don’t,” she said as a warning to the Pokemon. 

The strange string of messages filled her mind again. “I…kept…him safe…” the message said. An image flashed, this time from the memory of the Pokemon, from its vision she could see a small beam of energy it had created within its Dynamax cannon. As the beam shot, the small envelope of energy had surrounded the former champion. As its actual attack hit the Copperajah, the blasts surpassed Leon, as if the energy had served as its own protective barrier. 

“You protected him? Thank you,” she said. Another wave of memories washed over her mind. The one shown to her now was the day Eternatus had met her, right after Leon had tried to catch it. From the Pokemon’s point of view, she saw Leon motion to Charizard, turning his own body to come protect you and Hop. He hadn’t made it to you before the blast had impacted him, but behind his Charizard, you’d never been able to see the way Leon had tried to shield you himself. 

“He…protected you…even then,” the string of messages said, becoming clearer with practice. “My job…is to keep you…my trainer, safe…This human protects you with his life…in return…I have protected him. He will wake…soon.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, returning both her Eternatus and Dragapult to their Pokeballs so she could focus on Leon’s wounds. Nothing appeared to be broken externally. Even as far as physical damage from the debris went, Leon had only suffered minor scrapes and bruises, from  
what she could tell. Although, she still called an ambulatory team to the tower while she waited for him to awaken, to be sure there was no damage internally. 

As she finished her call to the rescue team, Leon’s eyes fluttered open. “Light…what…Rose… he was here. And his Copperajah…where’s Eternatus?”

She stroked his face, tears of relief pooling in her eyes and spilling over as she met his amber gaze. She couldn’t embrace him- not until she was sure it wouldn’t do any further damage, but the urge was incredibly strong. “We stopped Rose. Raihan’s taking him to the authorities right now. Eternatus is safe. It saved you today.”

Confusion crossed his face. “I…I don’t remember anything. I remember…I saw you. I told you to break it-something. I…I-“

Light stopped him with a gentle kiss, her tears falling onto his cheeks as she did. “Shhh, you don’t have to worry about it right now. I’ll fill you in later. Oh Lee, I’m so glad you’re alive, and that you’re okay.” Her hands grabbed for his as she cried, the sobs deep in her chest. 

Slowly, Leon sat up, still very confused. Alive? Had he almost died?. Light tried to guide him back down, but Leon shook his head. “I’m okay…” he said, attending briefly to every sense, every muscle in his body. Besides a few small cuts, everything felt just fine. He put his lands on her upper arms, still a little confused. The former champion wasn’t sure if he was still woozy from having been knocked out, or if there was something he’d missed. Last time he’d seen her before here in the tower, she’d answered his call from Hammerlocke. She’d come back before he called. Hadn’t that meant she’d chosen Raihan? “Weren’t you in Hammerlocke- before I called?” he asked, unsure of what information he was seeking, or wanted to take on in that moment. “Aren’t you and Rai…?”

Shaking her head, she moved his arms to circle around her. “I went to Hammerlocke to tell him it’s over, Leon. I wanted to officially end things with him before I came to you. Lee, I love you.”

Leon closed the distance to kiss her softly, her tears melding with his own freshly fallen ones. Just as it had that first night, with their first kiss, his heart raced, out of breath and trembling with the emotion, the love that circuited between the two of them. They stayed like that until the medics arrived, occasionally stopping to catch their breath, Light equally as breathless in the moment as he was. “I love you too,” he managed to whisper, holding her to him as if his touch could prevent her from ever leaving their spot on the floor of his now-damaged Battle Tower. And in that moment, she was perfectly happy to stay with him there forever. 

After the medics had given Leon the okay to go home, they hobbled hand-in-hand to his hotel suite. Light filled him in on everything that had happened, including her connection with Eternatus. She helped him into his bed, promising to catch him up fully on everything the next day. For tonight, she needed to be honest with Raihan. 

To her surprise, the Gym Leader was already waiting outside her door when she arrived. She gestured for him to come in. Raihan took the seat across from her at her dining room table, his cerulean eyes not meeting hers directly. He knew, of course he knew. Light didn’t know if that made this harder or easier on either of them. 

“Rai-” she started at the same time he’d begun to say: “Look, I know-“

Raihan sighed. “I know you’re choosing Lee,” he said after they stared awkwardly at each other for a moment. “I saw the way you looked at him, back then in the Battle Tower. Even I…I mean when you were in the desert- or with Calyrex, even I didn’t look at you like that. I don’t know how to put it, but it wasn’t the same. I never told you this, but when Glastrier attacked, he was the one who moved first. I was so angry at the son of a bitch for trying to protect you, it felt like it should be my job- or should have been. But even with the desert, if it weren’t for him, calling to check in, shit I never would have found you in time. It was all so easy to look past, thinking you were mine, my girl and not his, that I took credit for those without even thinking about it. I wanted to be better than him at something, especially when it came to you. I loved you. Hell, I never even once stopped to consider that you would love him more than me until that moment.”

His words made her heart ache. “It’s not that I don’t love you, or that I love you any less. Rai, you’ll always be my first love, and my first a lot of other things. But with Lee, it just felt right in a way that I can’t even begin to explain or understand, myself. If you’ll have me…I still want you in my life. You’ve never been less than an amazing friend, and I’d hate to lose that, but I’d also understand.”

The Gym Leader walked over to where she was seated, pulling him into a tight squeeze. “Of course, we’ll always be friends, princess. It might take a little time before the sight of you two doesn’t make me want to stick my head into the middle of a Coalossal, but I’ll always be in your corner.”

Light sighed in relief, hugging him back. They stood there for a moment, trying to ease the pain of their parting, before Raihan turned to walk out her door, closing the door both physically and metaphorically on their love story. 

The next day was an attempt at returning to their normal lives. Raihan went back to his duties in Hammerlocke and his usual posts on social media. Naturally, he made a longer post about their breakup, but how they’d always remain friends. All of Galar appeared to be crushed, but would get over their parting quickly. Leon returned to the Battle Tower, back to his usual strong  
self as he wiped the floor with most of his opponents. And Light returned her attention to the Galarian Stars Tournament, debuting her freshly trained self and winning the tournament with her rival, Hop, who was all too happy to have the Champion back. And, of course, to tease her about Leon. 

Light was nervous that evening, as she made her way to Leon’s after they’d finished their duties around the city. The purple-haired male had been borderline unconscious yesterday- would he remember anything she’d said now that he’d slept of the exhaustion and hypnosis? 

Her doubts were assuaged when the former champion immediately scooped her up into a hug, lifting her feet from the ground and twirling her around with relative ease before placing a kiss on her lips. Leon certainly hadn’t forgotten. He pulled them to the bed, setting her to lay on top of him. “Hi,” he greeted her at last with a grin.

“I could get used to this, if this is how you’re going to say hello every time,” she smiled down at him, teasing softly. His amber eyes were full of joy and love- and maybe a little bit of lust for her and her alone. “Should we get something to eat? I’m starving.”

Leon grinned, sitting up so that their bodies were flush together as she straddled him. “There was something I was thinking we could do first…” he murmured, placing kisses onto her neck and pulling her close.

They never did make it to dinner.

Light woke up the next morning, finding herself in her new lover’s arms. It had been a long time since she’d slept so soundly, or peacefully. Leon’s unconscious smile as he slept told her he was feeling the same. She smiled, starting to get up.

It was then that the former champion stirred. “Five more minutes…” he groaned groggily, reaching his arms towards her. The sight was impossibly cute, and Light laughed, kissing the top of his forehead. He sighed contentedly. This reality was far better than any dreams he could have had anyway. He’d never realized how absolutely beautiful she was the first thing in the morning, her rose-gold hair all mussed and her cheeks flushed from the warmth of him and the blankets. If Leon could wake up to her every single morning, he’d be the happiest man in all of Galar- no, probably the world. 

“I think all of Galar is going to absolutely riot if I don’t show my face at least somewhere in Wyndon today,” she joked half-heartedly, though she knew there was truth behind the statement.

That gave Leon an idea. “Hey, come battle me at the tower today. There’s…something that I have prepared for you.”

She hesitated. The last time she’d battled Leon in the Battle Tower, all of her doubts and fears had come rushing to the surface and had ended in incredibly heightened emotions. Of course, Leon had been the one to talk her through those insecurities, citing his own as well. It had caused them to grow even closer, the first time he’d really bared his soul to her. “That sounds like a champion time,” she teased, kissing him. Leon grinned at the use of his signature catchphrase and pulled her back to him, deepening the kiss as he held her waist. Oh hell, she thought. They’ve all waited months for me to return, what’s one more hour? Light noted the way his mouth explored her body, all the way from her neck to her upper thighs. His appetite for her was positively unsatiable now that he had her. Or two, she added to her thought, giving in to his touch.

The two trainers walked hand-in-hand to the Battle Tower, earning states from the Wyndon residents they passed. A few cameras clicked, but Light and Leon were too wrapped up in their own little bubble to really care, chatting about the training she’d done while she was on the island, particularly the breakthrough moment she’d had when she’d made it to the top of Challenge Road without giving up, just as Leon had always done for her- never giving up on her as a trainer, friend, or woman he loved. He smiled at her story, feeling the love thick in his chest and Butterfree in his stomach as she told it. Leon still found himself wondering if this was all a dream- another vision that Mr. Rime was creating in his head. It all seemed too good to be true. 

Leon snagged the Pokeballs for the team he’d created for her before they took the elevator to the top floor. He took advantage of their time alone in the elevator, claiming her mouth with his, running his fingers through her soft, rosy hair. Goodness, she was so beautiful, so perfect; he couldn’t believe she was his.

When they got to the top, Light turned to him with a grin. “Okay Leon, what is it you have planned for me?” She looked around, noting that the Rotoms weren’t set up for their usual broadcast of the battle. “It better not be sex, we just did it,” she teased, looking around the room, which appeared no different besides glass that had been boarded up until the repairs could be done on the areas that had been damaged by the Eternatus and Copperajah. 

The former champion grinned. “With you? I could always go another round,” he teased back. She brought out a bold, naughty side of him he didn’t know had been there. Leon liked it. He released the three Pokeballs, his Inteleon, Dragapult and Charizard appearing before her. She looked at him questioningly. Why would he show her the Pokemon he was going to use before their match had even started?

“Lee, what…?”

He grinned. “I picked out a team- for you to use, I mean. I couldn’t stop thinking about you when you were on the Isle, so I put together a team for when you returned and decided to face me. Each of them have…a special meaning.”

Lights eyes widened when she realized Charizard- his Charizard, his partner, his ace, was a part of the team. “You’d let me use your Charizard? Is he okay with that?”

The Charizard snorted a laugh from its muzzle, and Leon did the same. “Big Guy loves you too,” he explained. He decided to go into the explanation of his choices. “So Dragapult is probably the most obvious choice. We’ve bonded over them, even battled them together. You’re so in tune with your Dragapult that I wanted to see what you could do with one that you’re familiar with, but is still a little different and new to you.” He turned to now pat the water type. “I chose this guy because he was the Pokemon I trained- after you picked Scorbunny. It’s kind of a symbol of how I knew you were special from the moment I met you. How I’ve kept you with me, even after all this time in some way.” Lastly, he turned to his partner Charizard. “And lastly, I chose Charizard, partly because he asked me to, but also because I trust you. With my life. I love you, so much. You’re as much of a partner to me as Big Guy is. What do you say, would you like to show me a champion time?”

She threw her arms around his neck, holding him close as she placed a short, passionate kiss on his lips. Leon had done it again: he’d given all of himself to her, even his ace. “You ready to kick Leon’s butt today Charizard?” she asked the fire type as she stepped away, begrudgingly, from the purple-haired male. The fire type grunted out another laugh, allowing some steam to flow out from its mouth and nose. It was ready to follow her command. She returned the Pokemon to their balls and met Leon at the center of the pitch.

“Okay Leon, you’re on!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Sobs. I had so much fun writing this y'all. Thanks to those who stuck with it until this final chapter. Might write a short sequel that focuses on Raihan with a new OC. As always, I'm incredibly undecided. 
> 
> Also, did Light end up with who you were expecting?
> 
> Also, for those who have made it this far, I decided to make a sequel! Check out Eyes on Me if you want to continue with Light, Leon and Raihan's adventure. I'll be introducing another new original character, as well as bringing in some more familiar faces.


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